‘It’s never been more vital to get news from trusted outlets like The Sentinel’

In an era of ‘fake news’ and misinformation, as part of Journalism Matters Wee,k we examine the role The Sentinel and Stokeontrentlive play in local communities. Editor Marc Waddington explains why we matter more than ever

THE Sentinel has been a friend of the family since 1854, and along with our online version Stokeontrentlive, it is needed now more than ever.

With fake news, trolls on social media and concerns over the veracity of widely shared information on social media, The Sentinel and Stokeontrentlive stand out as first class local journalism with dedicated, trained and passionate journalists.

We are regulated by IPSO, and every article is vetted and checked by experienced content editors prior to publication.

We celebrate and chronicle local life and celebrate local people, and when there is a significant event in Stoke-on-trent, the Moorlands or Newcastle, rest assured we will try to be there.

If you are reading this in your Sentinel, or online, then hopefully you are already a friend to us – but are you aware of the role local newspapers play in communities across the country?

Everyday we strive to carry positive and local content on our news pages and online – we love to big up our city and shout about how proud we are of the communities we live and work in and highlight the issues which affect you.

And we have seen a huge increase in our audience. More than 2.2 million people read stories on Stokeontrentlive in August this year, just over double the number the year before. And more than 130,000 users repeatedly visit the site each month to stay up to date with the latest local news, sport and what’s on content.

This week is Journalism Matters Week – and what we want you to remember is that we will always be there for you – we are #localandproud.

Editor Marc Waddington says: “We live in strange times. We live in an era in which many are willing to brand as ‘fake news’ anything they don’t like, or don’t want people to know. So it’s never been more important than it is now to be sure that you are getting your news from reliable, trusted media outlets.

“Anyone with a mobile phone can publish more or less anything they want and it can be half way round the world in minutes, and a vast amount of the information being pumped out onto the internet on a daily basis is unregulated and unchecked.

“That’s why journalism matters: you can know that what you are reading on websites like Stokeontrentlive, and in newspapers like The Sentinel, is accurate and fair and based on trusted and reputable sources of information.

“Our newspapers and websites are regulated to the highest industry standards. Most importantly, we are accountable for what we do.

“Stokeontrentlive and The Sentinel are trusted and much-loved brands. We work hard to bring our local communities the news that matters most to them.

“We are proud to serve the communities we serve, and grateful for the trust and support we receive from the people who matter most to us, and who are at the heart of everything we do – our readers.”