One of our editors will be promoting the importance of community journalism when she appears on a BBC radio documentary on local news.
Alison Stephenson, editor of the Tavistock Times Gazette series, discusses her work delivering the latest news and content across websites, newspapers and social media, when she is featured on a BBC Radio 4 programme Inside Pages this Friday (January 20).
Having worked for the company for more than 25 years, Alison was interviewed about her role sharing trusted, positive news to the local communities in west Devon.
The five-part BBC radio documentary aims to shine a light on the work of local journalists working on titles across the UK.
A BBC promotional summary said: “Journalist Ian Wylie journeys to some of the hidden corners of Britain to view small towns through the lens of the people who don’t ignore them – their local reporters.
“Our guides are the passionate people who remain committed to telling the stories of what’s happening in their small towns. Through their newspapers, websites and social media posts they refuse to turn the page on local news reporting – often at some personal cost.”
The BBC summary of Alison’s episode says: “Ian’s last visit is to Tavistock in Devon, a thriving town with a strong community spirit but few opportunities for younger people.”
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Alison said she was pleased to be featured in the series to promote her title’s work in the local community. She said: “We work hard to deliver the news which matters most to local people so I was pleased to be featured to inform a large national radio audience about our journalism.
“We have strong links within the local area to ensure our readers know what is going on in their community, particularly the positive news. Although we operate in a big area we have very loyal advertisers as we offer a unique product providing very local news.
“Local publishing has changed over time as we now ensure we remain vital to local readers, offering daily updates to our website, with breaking news on incidents like road traffic accidents or court appearances uploaded throughout the week.
“People live in communities which are very spread out so our title provides a connection for them, whether it is our websites or our newspaper. The local community want to see their groups and societies featured in our coverage as their work is essential. We are very grateful to the community for contributing each week.”
The episode will be broadcast on Friday January 20th at 1.45pm and will appear on the BBC website here: BBC Radio 4 – Inside Pages, Tavistock