The Manchester Evening News is YOUR local news title and has been for more than 150 years. And as your local news title, we firmly believe in the importance of trusted local journalism for the communities that we serve. It's the cornerstone of everything we do.
We inform, campaign, entertain and reveal. We hold authority to account like no other in Greater Manchester and our work has led to important national change.
The campaign for Awaab's Law - named in memory of the two-year-old boy who died after prolonged exposure to mould in a Rochdale housing association flat - is now awaiting Royal Assent, in the final stage of the law-making process, after being approved by MPs and Lords.
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The determination of our journalists to tell Awaab's story, petition and demand that such a tragedy never happens again has directly influenced the Government's Social Housing (Regulation) Bill.
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 highly controversial plans to transform its local journalism services. A huge public outcry continues to surround the 'Across the UK' plans to inflict swingeing cuts on the corporation's hugely popular local radio services with much-loved presenters.
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 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 Manchester Evening News 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 Manchester Evening News needs your help to tackle this problem.
Together with other titles across the Reach Plc group 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.
