The BBC has once again found itself the subject as well as the broadcaster of news in recent months, with controversial plans for local radio cuts having caused strikes and the departure of high-profile presenters. The plans affect local radio services across the country, but significant impacts have been seen in our part of the world at BBC Radio Nottingham.
Scores of its staff have been seen picketing outside its London Road headquarters, with the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) having organised a 48-hour walkout in June. The station has also lost a well-loved presenter and local legend in the form of Mark Dennison.
Mr Dennison, also well-loved as the stadium announcer at the City Ground home of Nottingham Forest, left the BBC in June after more than 13 years with the corporation. He had been the host of BBC Radio Nottingham's 10am until 2pm show at the time of his departure.
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Stuart Thomas, the Head of the Midlands at the BBC, is also leaving the corporation to join LNER. Mr Thomas has said the departure is not connected to the corporation's local radio plans, having himself defended them live on BBC Radio Nottingham.
Despite protests continuing, the BBC says its local radio plans are about the corporation making "smart" financial decisions as audiences seek new forms of media. But it is on this matter where the BBC's plans could cause adverse effects outside the corporation.
As your local news title, we believe firmly in the importance of trusted local journalism to communities up and down the UK. We invest in trained journalists who seek to challenge authority and hold power to account on your behalf, bringing you the news that matters when, where and how you want it.
Our audiences are huge – 40 million people now read local news media in print or digital every month. Data from Ipsos in May showed Nottinghamshire Live was one of the top 50 newsbrands in the UK, with an audience of 3.9 million.
Trust in our journalism is rising too. A recent survey found 81 per cent of Brits agree that they trust the news and information they see in their local news media – a rise of seven per cent on 2018.
It's no secret that the business model for local journalism is facing some challenges, but we remain fully committed to finding a truly sustainable future for our sector. And we'll get there. We just need a bit of space and time to do it.
The BBC's controversial plans were first published two years ago, dubbed 'Across the UK'. Money will be taken away from local radio and instead diverted to the BBC's digital services. Why does this matter?
It's no exaggeration to say that some local news titles may be forced to close if the 'Across the UK' plans are not stopped, leading to the BBC becoming the lone voice in some local communities. A voice, by the way, that doesn't have the same freedom to campaign on your behalf like we do, because of impartiality requirements.
For anyone who believes in freedom of speech, as we do, that's a pretty terrifying thought. The problem lies with the BBC's enormous and unique power - granted to the corporation by the licence fee - and the impact of this upon other news providers.
The licence fee enables the BBC to do things the commercial sector can't, such as running websites with no advertising or paywalls on them. We are always up for fair competition. Fair competition drives innovation and quality in many different sectors.
But, because of the enormous power of the licence fee, the BBC's 'Across the UK' plans are the exact opposite of fair competition. Under the plans, online readers – and the commensurate advertising revenues which we use to pay our local journalists – will be sucked away from our websites to the BBC's.
That pressure on our resources, at a time when we are grappling with a host of other challenges, could cause some local titles to call it a day. That would be a disaster for the communities affected.
Far from boosting local journalism, we believe the BBC's 'Across the UK' plans will in fact irrevocably damage local news. What's more, there is no need for the BBC to do this – the commercial local news sector already serves communities across the entire length and breadth of the UK.
Enshrined in a Royal Charter, guardrails which are supposed to prevent the BBC misusing its power in this way have completely failed. So, we need your help to tackle this problem.
By contacting your MP and asking them to write to government about this issue, you can make a real difference. Your MP can express concern about the impact of the BBC's 'Across the UK' plans and ask government what steps it is going to take to get the BBC to change course.
The local news sector believes in and values the contribution the BBC makes to our news ecosystem. But there is a real risk that the 'Across the UK' plans could wreak untold damage on our vibrant local journalism sector.
We cannot allow that to happen. With your help, we can get the BBC to be a better neighbour to local commercial titles, ensuring a diverse local news sector for many years to come.
