WE'RE PROUD TO SERVE OUR READERS (From Warrington Guardian)

WE'RE PROUD TO SERVE OUR READERS

THIS is Local Newspaper Week, a celebration of community papers like your very own Northwich Guardian. Weekly papers aren't like the national press or TV. We can't provide up-to-the-minute coverage of national news - and neither would we want to. But we believe the Guardian plays a crucial role in community life, and here's why...

EVERYONE knows what journalists are like.

You've only got to watch hit shows like EastEnders or Coronation Street to realise we're all pushy, unscrupulous and probably drunk most of the time.

But is the stereotypical portrayal of journalists on TV really accurate?

Most definitely not.

The Northwich Guardian is committed to the community and its staff are passionate about the value of local papers.

And we're not the only ones. This year's Local Newspaper Week has been backed by men at the very top - Prince Charles and Tony Blair.

Both praised the work done by local papers at a time when the existence and even the value of community spirit is being questioned.

"Local newspapers up and down the land are playing a key role in fostering community spirit," said Mr Blair.

"The best embody and help shape the identity of the cities, towns and villages they serve. That is why strong local newspapers are so important to us all, and to the health of our country."

We think the Northwich Guardian is one such paper.

We have three simple objectives which we believe we meet week after week.

We want to provide news, sport and information you can't find anywhere else.

We want to reflect the views, hopes and concerns of all our readers.

We want to fight injustice on behalf of our readers and help shape the community in which they live.

And our aims are supported by the heir to the throne himself.

"Local newspapers, by the very nature of their positions, must be better able to identify people's concerns more readily than most," said Prince Charles.

"I have found that local newspapers are more free of the debilitating cynicism which often seems to be all-pervading in the national media."

If Mr Blair and Prince Charles are right, it would explain why local papers are enjoying more success than ever before.

Around 4,000 local newspapers are sold in the UK every minute, with people spending over £650 million on buying the country's 1400 regional titles every year.

The amount of money spent is reflected in sales. In the second six month period of 1998, almost three quarters of weekly papers saw their sales increase.

The Northwich Guardian was one of those papers. We're Northwich's number one weekly, outselling competitors by over three to one.

Each week we carry at least two pages dedicated to community news and packed with information about your village; we publish details of crimes, to help raise awareness about problems in your neighbourhood; and, in the noticeboard section, we give a forum to local groups and charities who want to publicise their fund-raising activities but can't afford to advertise.

No wonder the Prime Minister talks about increasing community spirit.

We campaign tirelessly about key issues too.

And we've been successful. We were the first paper to back the campaign to save Lostock's Longwood site from developers, winning praise from protesters whose dream came true earlier this year.

And we are also backing the calls to keep Marbury Lane open - organising a petition signed by thousands of readers.

We're committed to helping create a vibrant Northwich too. In December 1997, we urged councillors, community groups and businesses to work together over plans to develop the prime Castle Street site. That was four months before the launch of the Vision for Northwich, an initiative we've backed from the start.

Our success is no fluke. Sales of the Northwich Guardian have risen steadily for the last two years as readers have responded to our efforts.

"Local papers are more trusted than any other media," added Tony Blair, "largely because they are much closer to their readers and more accountable to their community.

"It doesn't mean they always make comfortable reading for politicians.

"By questioning and campaigning they help keep us on our toes and ensure we focus on the priorities of our constituents and the country."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.