Local newspapers are still an “excellent training ground for young journalists”, according to the UK’s journalism training body as today marks the 20th Local Newspaper Week.
The National Council for the Training of Journalists will publish experiences of local journalists and insights into regional newsrooms on its website throughout the week .
The first is with Laura Drysdale, news reporter at the Wakefield Express.
A spokesperson for the NCTJ added: “Local journalism remains an excellent training ground for young journalists and also provides opportunities for career progression.”
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Local Newspaper Campaign is run by Local Media Works and was first launched in 1998.
LMW has compiled the shortlist of nominees for the Making a Difference award which recognises the most impactful and powerful local journalism campaigns and is voted for by the public.
The nominees include, Manchester Evening News’ coverage of the Manchester Arena terrorist attack, the Sunday Post’s exclusive on the 400 children that died in Smyllum Park orphanage and the Bristol Post’s coverage of homelessness in the area.
The winner will be announced at the Regional Press Awards on Friday.
On 17 May, Local Newspaper Week will launch Trusted News Day where local newspapers will open up their newsrooms to readers, allowing them access to see how their local papers are researched and written.
Local papers will use the hashtag #TrustedNewsDay to live-blog their day to day work and highlight the important work they do in their patches.
Regional papers have struggled with declining circulation with Press Gazette research showing 40 local newspapers closed last year alone.
However, a poll by Yougov revealed that the local press remains the most trusted source of news with 74 per cent of respondents saying they trust the information in their local paper.
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