salford star


the other contributors are not paid. It’s fair to say that Salford City Council will not be wishing the Star many happy returns. The local authority has come under intense scrutiny from the magazine and eventually stopped responding to its queries. Graham Cooper says the Star was born to give the people of Salford a voice and it still does this: “If people want to know what is going on with the council, they turn to the Salford Star.” Salford City Unison branch secretary


Shining a light W


ith Attitude & Love’, the Salford Star’s sign off line, both in print and on the website, couldn’t be more apt.


The community magazine, now celebrating its 10th birthday, has always had plenty of attitude – and it is certainly a labour of love.


Started by editor Stephen Kingston and photography and graphics editor Steven Speed, the magazine has gained a national reputation for investigative journalism. It was a runner-up in the 2007 Paul Foot Award and praised for its “dogged and proactive approach”. Guardian columnist and campaigning


journalist George Monbiot has said the Salford Star is one of only two local publications in the UK that consistently hold power to account. Over the past decade, the Salford Star


has featured investigations into Salford Council, regeneration company Urban Splash, Peel Holdings whose land and property in Salford include Media City and, more recently, IGAS which, despite fierce local opposition, wants to start fracking operations in Barton Moss. Along the way, the Star has given a


22 | theJournalist


voice to Salford people caught up in regeneration, housing, property and fracking schemes. “It’s always been a bottom-up magazine. It was set up by the community for the community and that’s the way it will stay,” Kingston says. The Salford Star’s editor worked as a freelance feature writer for national newspapers and magazines but became disillusioned by being asked to write lifestyle and celebrity pieces. “I was earning good money but it wasn’t what I came into journalism to do,” he says. Kingston and Speed were persuaded to launch the Star by community worker Graham Cooper. He wanted residents of an area covered by a New Deal for Communities initiative to be able to tell their side of the regeneration story. Kingston and Speed agreed but said the magazine should cover the whole city. Funds were raised for the first eight


print editions. However, its journalism ruffled feathers as well as attracting plaudits and the money began to dry up. Two subsequent editions have been paid for by advertising and donations, one of them a substantial bequest. When it isn’t in print, the magazine continues online. Kingston, Speed and


“ ”


The Salford Star has been standing up for local people and holding power to account for 10 years, says Kath Grant


Steve North is disappointed by the council’s lack of engagement. “As a union, we have benefited from Stephen’s research and investigations. The magazine has given us information that has been very useful in negotiations. It is a pity the council can’t view the Salford Star as a critical friend rather than a hostile enemy. I don’t always agree with the editorial line myself but it’s important we have a free press.” The magazine covers music and the arts as well as news. Celebrities who have featured on the cover include Peter Hook and Christopher Eccleston (both Salfordians) and Maxine Peake, a big supporter who sent a congratulatory anniversary message. Nigel Pivaro, the actor turned


The Star has given a voice to Salford people caught up in regeneration, housing, property and fracking schemes


journalist who played Terry Duckworth in Coronation Street, is one of the main contributors. His work has included national newspaper stories from Syria and the Ukraine but he is proudest of his investigations for the Salford Star. The title has also given student


journalists opportunities to learn about investigative reporting. Chloe Glover, who studied at the University of Salford and now works for the mainstream regional press, praises the Star’s campaigns and says: “To do all this on a shoestring budget is fantastic.” She still finds the website compelling even though she no longer lives in the area. Pivaro says the Salford Star is a


“beacon of investigative journalism” and adds: “It has been a remarkable achievement by everyone, Stephen in particular. He has found stories no one else would touch or unravel and many of the Star’s exclusive reports have been followed up by the national media.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28