In major crisis we bring news you care about

JOURNALISM Matters is a campaign that highlights the vital role trusted news media journalism plays in a democratic society. To mark Journalism Matters Week, we’ve looked back on how we’ve served the communities of Greater Manchester over the last year.

In the year we faced a global pandemic, local journalism matters more than ever.

The spread of coronavirus has turned everyone’s lives upside down, bringing death, ill health, personal strain and financial hardship with it.

The Rochdale Observer and its sister titles including the Manchester Evening News have always strived to serve our communities by telling the stories that matter to you.

It is then our job to hold those in power to account.

In such worrying and uncertain times, there’s never been a greater need for accountability, for storytelling, and information.

But, as well as to inform, it’s also our job to raise a smile and celebrate the character of our great region.

The Manchester Evening News is currently reaching more people than at any time in our 152-year history 18.333m visitors in August 2020, some 140.4% up on the 7.62m we reached in August 2019.

As part of Journalism Matters Week, we’ve taken a look back at just some of our vital reporting and campaigning from over the last 12 months.

At the height of the COVID-19 outbreak a special investigation revealed the scale of the crisis facing care homes.

Reporters Charlotte Cox and Sophie HalleRichards both uncovered the scale of deaths, inadequate testing, rationed hospital treatment, expensive PPE and a diminishing workforce rise since March. Behind at care homes every statistic is a person. across Greater Manchester. The Rochdale The report shone a Observer and Manchester light on the devastation Evening News vowed facing care homes, care to honour the memory of workers and their residents. the Covid-19 victims which we did in our And it featured on Loved and Lost series. the national The project paid tribute stage when to people who had it was died of the virus and raised highlighted the heartbreaking during ordeals of those the unable to visit loved government’s ones in hospital. We told the stories of those who had survived daily the virus, highlighting press their experiences of briefings. Covid wards in hospital Each day and the long term impact we have on their health. combed through The reach of the virus complex data in relation has stretched far beyond to the virus, charting people’s health. hospital admissions and It has left many people deaths. across Greater Manchester We have reported the struggling for access daily infection rate for to food, basics and other each area of Greater support. Manchester, using Many of them are still graphs and interactive self-isolating, sometimes tools to make Government in fragile health figures accessible and alone. for our readers. In response, the Manchester Sadly, the number of Evening News lives being lost to the and the Greater Manchester virus has been on the Mayor’s Charity launched Covaid-19 - a fundraiser aimed at supporting those who most need help, from elderly people with no support network to homeless families living in hotels.

Thanks to the generosity of our readers and local businesses, the campaign has raised more than £70,000.

The money will be distributed via the mayor of Greater Manchester’s charity and go directly to those in need.

We’ve been proud to celebrate the resilience of our communities throughout the pandemic.

It’s been truly amazing to see how people have pulled together to help their neighbours despite the risk of the virus.

We’ve shared some of the funny moments too, like the people donning wacky outfits to take their bins out during lockdown, and the tender moments, like families reunited after months apart.

We’ve been there for the moments of kindness too.

Like how people from our hospitality industry have come together to help those going hungry, despite the uncertain future they face themselves.

In response to all of these incredible acts we launched a rolling live blog to highlight those people going above and beyond to help keep others safe. Throughout, we’ve kept our readers informed of the changes to restrictions and the impact of the local lockdowns on boroughs with high infection rates.

And we’re determined to keep digging for the story behind the numbers.