The Chronicle has been your local news title for 165 years.
Keeping the people of Tyneside informed with comprehensive, balanced coverage of the issues that matter in the region is what we do, and we undertake that work with great pride and responsibility, as we have since the Chronicle was founded in 1858.
We firmly believe in the importance of trusted local journalism for the communities that we serve. Our journalists care about the North East as much as our readers do - we live in the same streets, our children attend the same schools and we share your pride in the warm hospitality, vibrant culture and passion that this region is famous for.
As well as keeping you informed about everything that’s happening locally, we hold authority to account on your behalf. We campaign on issues and demand changes that matter to local people, whether that’s making sure the terrible impact of knife crime is talked about through our Stop Knives Taking Lives awareness campaign, or on demanding better when communities and employees are devastated by closure threats to valuable services like Gateshead Leisure Centre.
We invest in trained journalists on your behalf, bringing you the news that matters when, where and how you want it. Our audiences are huge and growing - 40 million people (73 per cent of GB population aged 15 plus) now read local news media in print or digital every month.
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.
Today we urge our readers to help us tackle an emerging threat to what we do so well on your behalf.
Two years ago, the BBC published radical and controversial plans to transform its local journalism services. A huge public outcry continues to surround the 'Across the UK' plans to inflict cuts on the corporation's popular local radio services, with much-loved presenters and shows at risk.
Instead, some of the money would be diverted into boosting the BBC's digital services, ramping up its provision of local news online.
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 job losses and potentially 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 the Chronicle does, 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.
So, 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, the Chronicle needs your help to tackle this problem.
Together with The Journal, Teesside Live and the Gazette, as well as other titles across Reach Plc and the country, we are today urging readers to contact their local MP and ask them to write to the 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 the 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 and its journalists make to our vibrant 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 vibrant and diverse local news sector for many years to come.
