A second call for nominations for journalist teams who help make sure the public remains informed and interested in local news has been issued by the Public Interest News List.
Launched last week with the support of the Society of Editors, Behind Local News asked readers to nominate individuals who should be on the list, which will be published during Journalism Matters Week early next month.
This week, we want to hear about the newsrooms, titles or teams who have inspired through public interest journalism in local news.
It could be a campaign led by a newspaper, in-depth court coverage by a team of journalists in a particular newsroom, or an investigation done by a particular group of journalists.
Up and down the country, newsrooms — be they newspapers, websites, local BBC, ITV or radio — dedicate many hours to keeping people up to date with news which is important to their lives.
Ian Murray, the SoE’s executive director, spoke last week in praise of the initiative.
He said: “This is a wonderful opportunity to both recognise the fantastic and vital work carried out by journalists in the public interest of the communities they serve, and also a way of underscoring to that public the essential role of the media.
“In the hurly-burly of the news day it is all too easy to not take time to appreciate just what a force for good local journalism is.
“This initiative is well worth supporting and I am certain the entries will reflect the copious amounts of public interest journalism that take place day in, day out the length and breadth of the country.”
Over 100 nominations have been received for the individuals list — and the initiative is now seeking to have a bumper crop of entries looking at the teams, titles and newsrooms which are making a difference.
