Why it matters that the Star is there to report and campaign for our proud region and its people
This week is Journalism Matters week, writes Midland News Association Editor-in-Chief Martin Wright.
Many of you reading this may well be tempted to turn the page now. After all, journalists do not tend to fare well in popularity contests. And that is understandable.
As an industry, we have not done ourselves many favours over the last couple of decades and, unfortunately for those of us working in the local and regional newspaper industry, we have been tarred with the same brush as those working on national titles where the ‘excesses’ – as they might politely be described – have at times been inexcusable.
Unlike national newspapers, however, at the Shropshire Star, we are embedded in our community. We live here, we work here, we have families here, and we know that earning and keeping the trust of our readers is absolutely vital. As a team, we agonise over stories to make sure we get the content and the tone right. Our aim is to inform and, yes, to entertain and surprise our readers with stories they didn’t know they wanted to know about – but this must always be done responsibly and with an eye on the impact our stories will have.
That is not to say we always get it right. We don’t. We are human and make mistakes. But when things do go wrong, we take our responsibilities seriously and we try to put it right quickly.
The Journalism Matters campaign is designed to highlight the positive work of the newspaper industry. Here at the Shropshire Star, our journalists are out and about day in, day out, covering breaking news and attending meetings and events of all types to keep you in touch with what is happening. As the events of this year have demonstrated, this has never been more important.
When the country went into lockdown in March we, along with most other businesses, had to make rapid changes. A virtual newsroom was hastily created, which allowed our team of journalists to produce the paper while working from home. It was a huge step as we were a very traditional newsroom until this point.
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Thanks to the dedication of our journalists, however, the virtual newsroom was a success and we were able to continue to deliver the news through our newspapers and via our digital channels. The response from you, our readers, was exceptional. We received many letters of thanks – not just for the journalists who write the stories and produce the papers, but for everyone involved in the newspaper’s production, including advertising, the press team and, of course, our papergirls and boys who continued to push newspapers through letterboxes all around the region while adhering to strict Covid-19 guidance.
But why should you care about the Journalism Matters campaign? Well there’s the obvious point that by running stories about decisions made by people in positions of authority, we are exposing those decisions to public scrutiny. Our journalists work on investigations to expose injustice and wrongdoing – and by bringing these matters to the attention of the public, we can help right these wrongs.
Our role as the eyes and ears of our readers is vital. Without journalists, health meetings, council decisions, courts cases and many more besides would go unreported. Imagine, for example, a council decides it can no longer afford to keep libraries open. This means your local library is at risk of closure. The Shropshire Star highlights the issue. As a result, the community gets together and comes up with a plan to take over the library and save it.
While the newspaper industry has changed massively in the last decade or so, the ability of local titles to be a force for good within their patch remains as powerful as ever.
At the Shropshire Star, we are proud of the campaigns we have run to help those in need. Our Christmas toy appeals have brought some happiness to hundreds of children in recent years. We were on hand to help in the aftermath of the devastating floods earlier this year, both publicising practical help for those affected and also highlighting the need for better defences. We have just relaunched our Ladder campaign, which aims to create opportunities for apprentices as the economy recovers from the devastating effects of Covid-19.
The Shropshire Star has been serving its readers for 56 years and our journalists today are committed to upholding the tradition of the newspaper. As society becomes ever more confusing and uncertain, you can rely on us to be there with you, keeping you informed and helping you navigate through everything that matters.
