Why Journalism Matters - and how your Blackpool Gazette continues to stand up for the resort

If it isn't the global pandemic threatening to wreck our lives, it's a crippling shortage of delivery drivers, an energy crisis, empty supermarket shelves, jam-packed forecourts, or more recently, apparently, a dearth of foil tins for our pies.

Throughout it all, though, The Gazette' s team has been there to cover them all in an accurate, speedy, easy-to-understand way - while juggling the local news agenda too.

And that's not been quiet either. The Fylde coast has seen murders, tragedies, court cases, inquests, secrecy, waste - as well as reopenings, crowds, celebrations, joy, fun, launches, and developments.

To mark Journalism Matters, the news media industry's annual campaign to shout about the benefits journalism creates for society, which runs from today until Sunday, we've explained below how we have made a difference and why our community, democracy, and society itself would be weaker without us.

"Local journalists play a crucial role in informing the public and bringing them the news, good or bad," Blackpool North and Cleveleys MP Paul Maynard said.

"Whether it is holding officials to account, breaking news of scandal or success, or finding that story that brings a smile to the reader's face.

"Without a free local press, there would be less information, less scrutiny, and less transparency.

"I read The Gazette every day and pick up many snippets of information that helps shape how I represent Blackpool North and Cleveleys".

Cat Smith, MP for Fleetwood and Lancaster, who was cleared of filing improper expenses in 2016, added: "Local newspapers have scrutinised the decision I have taken as MP.

"And when I was accused of wrongdoing, they have reported that and the subsequent finding that I had done nothing wrong.

"As uncomfortable as it was to be wrongly accused - and it certainly wasn't pleasant - I am glad we have a strong local press that would have highlighted had I done wrong.

"That is what is needed in a democracy.

"Local news matters. If we do not fight to protect local journalism, democracy will be the casualty."

And Coun Tony Williams, the Conservative leader of the opposition on Blackpool Council, said: "National and international newspapers and 24-hour cable news channels can keep people up-to-date on national and world news, but in many instances, local newspapers are the only means people have to learn about what’s going on in their own communities.

"Local politics impact residents’ lives every day, and local newspapers cover local politics extensively.

"Local newspapers can strengthen communities.

"Local newspapers are great resources for residents who want to become more active in their communities and learn more about community events.

"Local newspapers often showcase community events like carnivals, local theatre productions and projects like park clean-ups.

"These are great ways for readers to become more active in their communities and build stronger communities as a result.

"Local newspapers can benefit children.

"National newspapers may have little age-appropriate content to offer young children, but local newspapers tend to include more soft news items than national periodicals, and such stories typically are appropriate for young readers.

"Many local newspapers have played vital roles in their communities for decades, providing a go-to resource for local readers and business owners."

How The Gazette has made a difference in the past 12 months:

The pandemic

Balancing vital public messaging from the Government with the need to hold the powerful to account has been key to covering the last 12 months of the pandemic.

It was important to combat the conspiracy theories, which ranged from the nonsensical to the misinformed, and highlight the real life impact these viral web tales were having.

We fought for access, despite control freakery from national health service suits, to Blackpool Victoria Hospital's Covid intensive care unit after a video of an apparently empty ward appeared on the internet.When the doctor in charge of the unit spoke so emotionally about how he would like to see rule-breakers witness the horrors seen there daily for just five minutes, we were listening.

And when mums-to-be were fighting for their lives after catching Covid after refusing to have vaccines due to unfounded fears over their babies' safety, we were there to promote the expert's opinion and not the Facebook researcher's.

But we did not, as some have accused, act like puppets for the establishment.

When the Conservative Government's now proven failed tier system was brought in, we challenged it.

When the Labour council launched a PR blitz ahead of schools reopening in September 2020, and then failed to pay public tribute to two school workers who died after catching the disease, we were there to write about it.

We were the ones explaining the true impact of lockdown on the town's businesses, tourist attractions, and theatres.

We even had the town's back when Nicola Sturgeon urged Scots to give it a skip.

We continue to reveal the impact of coronavirus on the Fylde coast, giving prominent coverage to the weekly briefing of the Vic's medical director Dr Jim Gardner, and keeping readers up to date on local figures, including community infection rates, hospital admissions, and deaths.

And we will do it until the virus that has plagued our lives since early last year is beaten.

Deaths

Even though it can sometimes be seen as obstrusive, having the media report on inquests, which are held in a public court room to determine the exact circumstances in which someone died, is vital.

Not only do deaths impact entire communities, the Chinese whispers surrounding them can often lead to speculation and rumour, and it's our job to clear those up.

That never became more apparent than a few years ago when The Gazette was at the inquest of a young woman who died months before after consuming drugs.

It quickly became clear that her closest friends had been told she had died from something else entirely, while an estranged family member had not been told she had died at all.

Because of us, they were able to understand exactly what happened and why. They deserved to know the truth and now do.

I hope the average reader was spared from some of the distressing rumours - and blame game - that circulated online following the death of Jordan Banks, the nine-year-old Blackpool schoolboy struck by lightning in May at the end of his football training session.

The tragedy pulled at the very fabric of Blackpool's community, which rallied around the youngster's understandably heartbroken family and teammates, but it didn't stop trolls from falsely aiming their sights at the innocent.

We didn't repeat them at the time and we won't repeat them now but they were at best misguided and at worst malicious lies.

Now, thanks to our coverage of the hearing at the town hall, everybody knows it was a freak occurrence that nobody could have seen coming or prevented.

Reporting on inquests is also about giving a voice to the voiceless, including Oliver Rae, the newborn boy who was dumped in a wheelie bin by his mum.

Our reporter Wes Holmes successfully fought in court to get the coroner to lift an anonymity order and give the lad, who was found wrapped in clothes and a plastic bag after being born alive, a name.

And it's about exposing failures where there shouldn't be any, including at the Vic, where medics starved Finnley Morris of oxygen for more than 42 minutes after he was born.

Often, our reporter turns up to court and find an empty press bench and, without their presence, these stories would go unheard and wrongdoing would be allowed to pass by in secret.

Criminality

People deserve to know how safe their streets are.

That's why our reporters shine a torch on the darkest corners of the Fylde coast, asking questions of the police when readers see officers out and about, and chasing for updates on ongoing investigations.

They include the ongoing murder investigation - and separate poison plot probe - at the Vic, where Valerie Kneale, 75, was alleged raped and killed by a worker, who was also quizzed on suspicion of attacking a colleague, and stroke unit patients allegedly dosed up with drugs to keep them heavily sedated.

We were in court to see resort dad Jordan Lee cry as he was caged for life for murdering his "blue-eyed angel" daughter Willow, four months, because he wanted to play Call of Duty on his Xbox in peace.

And when the family of a man who died at the hands of police spoke of their suspicions, we pushed investigators for answers and used freedom of information laws to seek them for ourselves.

We pay for a reporter to be inside magistrates' court each day and cover the crimes that, albeit less serious, help residents understand what's going on in their neighbourhood - from the 'poison dwarf' who lobbed her own poo at a police sergeant, to the crook who left his partner with his snake collection, and to the Papa John's worker who burgled his own pizza store.

The victims of paedophiles and perverts enjoy lifelong anonymity unless they choose to sign it away, but we lend an ear and a shoulder of support when they want to tell their stories.

Even when police initially deny any knowledge of a crime scene, we work behind the scenes to find out why cordons are put in place before informing the community.

Investigations

Contrary to the popular belief modern journalism is all about clicks - actually, it's about writing what people want to read - we continue to invest in expensive, longform journalism that continues to win awards.

The Gazette's coverage helped the already award-winning JPIMedia Investigations team, which included deputy news editor Michael Holmes, compete against the likes of the Financial Times and Sunday Times for this year's Private Eye Paul Foot Award.

We told how local crime gangs are using legal adult websites to sell their victims, and why vice squads back them, with one young Romanian woman moved from town to town, including being advertised as "Bella from Blackpool".

And we revealed how Lancashire's exploitation squad successfully changed tactics to nab modern slavers.

Entertainment

Because life in Blackpool is more amazing than others think, and we all need a little light in our lives, we cover the talent and the brilliance of locals, including the Thornton woman who ran off to join the circus.

As the world emerges from lockdowns, and with big names heading back to Blackpool with their shows, we've had exclusive interviews and updates on fresh tour dates.

We gave you the inside track as the Illuminations, which will shine over Christmas and New Year for the first time, were turned on inside the Tower Ballroom in another first by dancing queen Shirley Ballas.

And we were there when Star Wars came to town, oh, and Netflix too.

From theatre reviews to what's on guides, The Gazette provides entertainment coverage like nowhere else.

Developments

We've all been out and about and seen builders inside an empty shop or workmen gazing into a hole in the road while the temporary traffic light shines endlessly red and wondered: 'What's going on there, then?'

We're the same, which is why we're constantly on the phone and finding out what that unit's being turned into, like a new micropub, or what's replacing an outgoing big name like B&Q.

There are several exciting major projects either underway or about to start across the Fylde coast.

Perhaps none of them are as big as the promised £300m Blackpool Central scheme, which will, if all goes to plan, see one of the resort's most rundown areas transformed into a new tourist destination.And then there's the Houndshill extension, which will bring the county's largest cinema screen.

Sometimes, progress brings unwanted side effects like traffic woes or, in what's become a bit of a running joke in the resort, another car park.

Supporting local businesses and people

Not everything has to be angry, holding-to-account journalism. A large part of our job is championing Blackpool and supporting those who live and work here.

We're proud of being the people you turn to when you want to shout about your achievements - or when you really need people's help to pay for treatment.

From hairdressers being, ahem, a cut above the rest, to a grief-stricken mum opening a mental health sanctuary to help others, we amplify your success stories.

When volunteers decide they simply can't accept vandalism, we make sure you know of their efforts.

The list is almost endless, from firewalkers raising much-needed cash for Trinity, to a Bispham couple walking 20-miles to help a dementia charity.

And who can forget Paul Howlett, who cycled 29,030 - the equivalent of Mount Everest - up and down Devonshire Road in North Shore with a two-stone Teddy for Blackpool Carers Centre?

Supporting Blackpool includes sticking up to the national press too, which is why we dug behind the headlines when The Sun claimed drugs were being dealt at an unnamed resort school's gates to discover the authorities hadn't received a single report of any such thing.

Politics

The word itself might conjure up grey images of nonstop chatter and finger pointing, but covering the goings on inside the town hall and Parliament allows people to make informed decisions at the ballot box - and know what their elected officials are up to.

We revealed how a year-long investigation into the conduct of former Blackpool Council leader Simon Blackburn, which was mired in secrecy, was dropped by Labour after he quit the party.

And, days after backing the bookies' presence on the high street, we told how the town's latest Conservative MP Scott Benton accepted almost £8,000 in freebie sports tickets from the gambling industry.

Mr Benton also had a slap on the wrist after breaching Parliamentary rules by failing to declare payments he got before he was elected as an MP for Blackpool South.

When town hall big wigs signed a deal to pay £250,000 a year in rent for the Showtown Museum, we gave you the details, as we did when they missed their own deadline on the tramway extension by almost two years.

Reporters regularly cover meetings, whether remotely or in person, to make sure readers get to grips with the decision making.

And we don't shy away from the controversial topics.

We were the first to ask whether the 'red Indian' tableaux Illumination at Bispham is racist, and we kept you updated on the furore surrounding controversial preacher Franklin Graham's appearance in Blackpool, with the council and Blackpool Transport forced to say sorry and pay six figures after removing adverts for the festival he talked at.

"Speak the truth even if your voice shakes," is a quote attributed to Maggie Kuhn.

And the truth is the news industry is going through an uncertain time.

Never has it been so important to support journalism, which isn't free to produce, especially at a local level.

At The Gazette, we're not perfect.

The fact is we're often working at breakneck speed to bring information to you as quickly as possible (though, it has to be stressed, never at the expense of accuracy) and we're dedicated to doing it better than anyone else.

Alongside more than 80 other newspapers, we pledged to be #therewithyou last year at the height of the pandemic.

We think we have been - and we hope to remain by your side for a long time yet.

So if you think there's something we should be covering, or have any other comments, email us at editorial@blackpoolgazette.co.uk or send us a message on our social media channels.

Remember, we're your neighbours, friends, and part of the community too, so be nice. There's enough nastiness in the world already.

Editor Nicola Adam said: "We are not arrogant in local journalism and know we are nothing without you.

"Our role is to cover those stories that are important to you in the local community, hold authority to account and keep you informed, as well as providing a good read, entertainment and advertising to help you plan your lives.

"This is a journey we began here at The Gazette in 1873 and today, 148 years later, the world has changed beyond recognition as has our product but the principles are still the same.

"Journalism has a bad rap these days, largely as always the case, due to a few rather than a majority and the industry has faced challenging times which has seen teams decimated, resources slashed and challenges quickly evolve.

"We may be your local Gazette, but we are expected to perform online on the national and international stage if we are to survive as a business while holding fast to our principles of accuracy and fairness - and yes we do make mistakes on occasion but we always hold our hands up.

"During the pandemic we fought to be #thereforyou while facing the same issues as everyone else as we scrambled to find a working from home model amid lockdown as our traditional source of income, advertising, all but vanished.

"It was a steep learning curve for us as we became vital source of information for all of you in a situation none of us could have foreseen - we became closer to our readers than ever.

"And one thing we have learned is that journalism really matters.

"In a world where a sea of information and misinformation is available at the tap of a screen, you need to be able to trust us.

"Thank you for supporting your Gazette, we have Blackpool's back."

DID YOU KNOW?

Some 71 per cent of people trust what they see and read in the news;

While 68 per cent of under-35s agrees that a world without journalism would harm democracy;

And just 33 per cent of people think social media is a trustworthy source of news.

It is thanks to our loyal readers that we can continue to provide the trusted news, analysis and insight that matters to you. For unlimited access to our unrivalled local reporting, you can take out a subscription here and help support the work of our dedicated team of reporters.