regional news
staff were asked to relocate to Yeovil. “That was the spur for me to start the Wells Voice, which I thought would fill a gap in the market, tell people in the community what’s happening and would mean me doing something that I love and enjoy,” says Vallis. “I put some of my redundancy money towards setting it up, started working on it in June and the first one came out at the start of July. I am working on the third one now.” The reception from the local community was joyous.
People emailed and called to congratulate him, even coming up to him in the street and shaking his hand. There’s no substitute for having someone with his finger on the local pulse. Vallis has lived in Wells for many years and knows the city and many of its people well. Another noteworthy initiative is The Bristol Cable, run by a stakeholder-led cooperative whose members define its editorial policy. It aims to fund and sustain investigative news journalism, focusing on features, investigations and unknown local histories. It also highlights voices across Bristol, including from marginalised groups, and trains people who may have little journalistic experience, only basic levels of education or do not speak English as their first language. In this way, the Cable seeks to create a more inclusive, accessible platform that gives it a broader reach. “We have had some pretty major stories that have made it
into the nationals, covering police surveillance or the housing crisis and other issues,” says Adam Cantwell-Corn, one of the Cable’s three founders. “I would say we are in the process of developing an effective organisation in terms of
local public interest media that is funded and directed by a broad base of members. The aim is to develop a model that can be financially viable then try to export it as a blueprint for people to take up and develop across the country”. The Chew Valley Gazette, founded as an eight-page
publication in 1984 by Bristol NUJ member Bill Carruthers, covers 100 square miles of parts of the Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset and Mendip
District local authority areas. In 2012, it was taken on by Tindle, a firm that prides itself on having never closed a newspaper. The Chew Valley Gazette is one of their most successful titles, well supported by readers so attractive to advertisers. “People queue in the supermarkets and local amenities within the valley to wait for it,” says editor Selena Cuff. I see them waiting for the paper to be dropped off, and that is one of my favourite sights. Our advertising team has a very good relationship with all our advertisers so people feel they are supported while the businesses have a good local platform”. Bristol’s St Paul’s district used to have a council-funded
community newspaper, but it was closed because of cuts. Into the void stepped Vocalise, which is both a magazine and community organisation. It covers two other parishes in Ashley – St Werburghs and Montpelier. The magazine is delivered door to door every three months. The main reason for its popularity is that Vocalise staff go out to the community to search for news and give local people a platform. One story, concerning the closure of a petrol station, was so well received that people sent in a barrage of emails complimenting the team and thanking them. The mainstream paper would have neglected a story like that. These publications are making a real difference in and around Bristol. They are making local news matter again. And the favourable response among readers is very clear to see.
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