The Cambs Times Sling The Mesh Campaign Wins Making a Difference

A campaign by The Cambs Times which took an important health issue affecting thousands of women right to the heart of Government has won the Making a Difference award for the best local newspaper campaign.

An online poll in which the public were invited to vote for their favourite out of 27 local newspaper campaigns from the past year was held during Local Newspaper Week, with the winner announced at the Society of Editors Regional Press Awards today.

Highlights of the Sling the Mesh campaign include a lobby of the Houses of Parliament in July last year when MPs who heard harrowing stories of how the pelvic mesh has changed women’s lives beyond recognition.

Announcing the Making a Difference winner, News Media Association chairman David Dinsmore said: “Local and regional journalism adds a huge amount of value to our society by scrutinising authority and holding the powerful to account.  In doing so, local news media can truly be said to support and promote democracy at a local level.

“Making a Difference celebrates the ability of local newspapers to campaign on the issues that matter to people and bring about real positive change for communities. The immense social value that we create is underpinned by the exceptionally high standards to which local journalists hold themselves.

“As well as the law of the land, our journalists adhere to the Editors Code of Practice and the robust self-regulatory framework of IPSO. All of this results in highly trusted local journalism with the power to make a difference. This is completely unique and we should be immensely proud of it.

“It is time to shout about this from the rooftops – as you have been doing during Local Newspaper Week – and time for a renewed confidence in what we do.” 

This year’s LNW has also seen the industry come together for a #TrustedNewsDay yesterday in which local papers across the UK opened up their newsrooms to show readers exactly how trusted local journalism is produced.  The day was launched with a Thunderclap with a social reach of 2.5 million.