Revealed: Our best-read stories about local journalism in 2018
Back in March, we launched Behind Local News to tell the stories about the stories. While there’s no denying we work in a challenged industry, we felt that too often the challenge was the only story being told.
Across the UK, thousands of journalists are serving communities in print and online, uncovering stories which need to be told and finding new ways to tell those stories.
Around 5,000 people a week now read Behind Local News, with a new edition of articles added every weekend. The success of the site led to our first conference, held in Wolverhampton in the summer, and last month we published our Annual, full of the articles most-read on the site during the year.
So as 2019 begins, we’ve taken one last look at the 15 most-read articles from the first 9 months of Behind Local News:
20: Why fake news could be good news for local news (and other glimpses into the future) — June 2018
Summary: Last week, the Reuters Institute at Oxford University presented its annual Digital News Report. It’s a report which is always highly-anticipated, and much discussed, but what does it mean for local journalism? Nic Newman, who authored the report, spoke at the Behind Local News conference last month. Here is an abridged version of what he told delegates.
19: Fewer young dinosaurs please: How journalism schools can help their students, and regional news — July 2018
Summary: The days of people arriving raw, and being moulded into a journalist to a formula are long gone. The stars of today are those who brought something new to the newsroom, and showed it was a new worth having. How do we spot that new, and how do we make the space for it to shine?
18: When contact building pays off — and results in an award — July 2018
Summary: One of the more unusual awards at the 02 Yorkshire and the Humber journalism awards is the ‘moment of the year’ prize — one for ‘print’ media and one for ‘broadcast’ media. The print prize went to the Hull Daily Mail for its coverage of a £4m scratchcard win. Here’s the story behind the story which won the award
17: Why Facebook is investing £4.5m in local journalism — November 2018
Summary: We recognise the important role Facebook plays in how people get their news today, and we want to do more to support local publishers. For this reason, we’re partnering with Newsquest, JPIMedia, Reach, Archant and the Midland News Association, as well as the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ), to launch the Community News Project.
16: Five Years of the Trinity Mirror Data Unit — August 2018
Summary: Trinity Mirror’s Data Unit has been an integral part of the company’s move to being digital first, creating content now used on more than 50 websites a week. It’s headed up by David Ottewell, a strong advocate of the difference local journalism can make in a digital world. Here, he takes us behind the scenes of his team which began as just two journalists back in 2013.
15: The complex, technical document that left me in tears — April 2018
Summary: The Kerslake Review into the way the Manchester Arena bombing was handled was published last week. It praised the Manchester Evening News for the way it helped provide reliable, sensitive coverage but also criticised other media. For MEN political editor Jennifer Williams, reporting on the report was a complex, and personally emotional, task
14: I promoted someone this week. Here’s why it was a big deal — November 2018
Summary: When I started back in 1979 there were more assistants than Tesco and more brackets than B&Q. If you didn’t get sacked you got promoted. At the Liverpool Daily Post in 1995 we had a Chief Aviation Writer, Another bloke liked aeroplanes too but he was only Aviation Correspondent.
13: The newsroom where party poppers can go off at any time — August 2018
Summary: Each week, Behind Local News asks an editor to share the secrets of the newsroom they lead. This week Alan Woods, at the helm of Essex Live based in Chelmsford, invites us into his newsroom
12: Here’s why local sports journalism is more relevant than ever in the digital age — May 2018
Summary: Local newspapers were the primary source — and often the only source — of daily sports news for local teams for decades. But in a digital age where fans have wall-to-wall coverage through TV, online brands and instant discussion bringing fans together on forums and blogs, how does the local sports journalist stand out from the crowd?
11: Editor-in-chief departs, two new editors appointed in Reach Midlands changes — November 2018
Summary: Reach today announced a series of editorial changes in the Midlands.
10: WalesOnline announces series of new roles ahead of 2019 — December 2018
Summary: WalesOnline has announced a series of changes to its editorial teams, including a number of new roles designed to accelerate the site’s sport and social audience growth.
9: Using long-form journalism to remind readers why local newsrooms matter — August 2018
Summary: The Yorkshire Post has been widely praised for the latest in a series of week-long features, this one being A tale of two Yorkshires, focusing on the county’s ‘demographic time bomb.’ Here, Behind Local News asks The Yorkshire Post editor James Mitchinson why his title appears committed to such in-depth long-form journalism in a new media landscape where audience time is precious and often fleeting
8: ‘We answer to the fans… not the Chairman’ — December 2018
Summary: The Bolton News’ chief football writer, Marc Iles, has been banned from attending Wanderers’ matches with immediate effect following his coverage of the club’s off-field woes. Editor KARL HOLBROOK explains why his newspaper won’t back down….
7: £4.5million community news project announced for UK’s regional press — November 2018
Summary: Around 80 new jobs will be created in regional newsrooms in the UK as part of partnerships between Facebook, the NCTJ and four regional news publishers.
6: Call them long reads if you must, but in-depth journalism online can’t begin with the word count — May 2018
Summary: Paul Rowland, editor-in-chief of WalesOnline, is determined to prove that readers want stories which are packed with detail, authority and insight. The challenge, he says, is for journalism to put the reader, not the word count, at the heart of so-called ‘long reads’
5: The eight-letter word no journalist should ever forget… — October 2018
Summary: There are few journalists who can boast the longevity of 40 years in the business and have stories from their notebooks that have shocked the world.But Bob Westerdale, the Sports Editor of The Star, Sheffield, is a breed apart in this regard.
4: Sports journalism your thing? Here’s how to stand out in a very large crowd — July 2018
Summary: Reach PLC recently recruited five trainee sports journalists to work on some of its biggest titles in the UK, with hundreds of people applying for the roles straight from university. Digital head of sport at Reach, Jon Birchall, shares tips on how to stand out in a very, very competitive field
3: The Northern Ireland political scandal which proves readers have a thirst for important stories — April 2018
Summary: Long before she became one of the most powerful women in Westminster following the 2017 general election, the DUP’s Arlene Foster was facing intense media scrutiny over the Northern Ireland Assembly’s ‘Ash for Cash’ scandal. News Letter political editor Sam McBride looks back at a story which required determination, an iron will to get to the truth, and which may still have a good way to run.
2: Reach to hire 16 new football journalists and launches The Football Project — December 2018
Summary: Football fans across the UK are set to benefit from Reach’s brand new initiative called ‘The Football Project’, a major investment and restructure in regional football coverage, which will create 16 new jobs.
1: Why society should fear the constant political attacks on journalists and journalism — August 2018
Summary: Manchester Evening News social affairs editor Jennifer Williams learnt her work on uncovering the uncounted homeless deaths in Greater Manchester was to be singled out for praise by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn during a speech in which he called for more support for public interest journalism. While few journalists would object to such pledges, closer inspection of political attitudes towards journalism and journalists suggests our industry, and society as whole, has much to fear from current Westminster attitudes towards the ‘Press’ — and it’s just as damaging for local news as it is for Fleet Street. Writing for Behind Local News, Jennifer Williams explains why.
Our huge thanks to everyone who has contributed to Behind Local News in 2018. We’ve got some exciting things planned for 2019. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or email us here if you want to get involved
