One of the great strengths of a local newspaper is that it can shine a light on subjects that might otherwise be difficult to talk about or even avoided altogether.
This week, Preston WI is doing exactly that by raising awareness of domestic abuse through the No More Violence campaign.
It is a subject that cuts across every part of society and anything that encourages people to recognise the signs, talk openly and know where help is available has to be welcomed.
Elsewhere, there is plenty of conversation about the future – including here at the Gazette.
We are continuing work on a major update of our website, looking at new and more exciting ways of bringing you local news online while still keeping the newspaper at the heart of what we do.
And Withernsea is certainly giving us plenty to report. The campaign to keep mayor Cllr Kristina Richardson in the role has gathered pace, with a petition and calls for supporters to attend the next town council meeting.
Whatever your view, it is encouraging to see people engaging with local democracy and making their voices heard.
We are also looking further back as we plan a new online gallery showcasing photographs from the Gazette archive. We often get asked what happens to pictures that we take but which we can’t fit in (we routinely take about 1,000 at each event!), so hopefully this will provide a solution.
That raises another issue increasingly important to newspapers and other creative businesses: the value of the work we produce.
A photograph, article or design might be easy to copy from the internet, but that does not make it free to use. Marks & Spencer does not give away shirts simply because they are on display and creative work should be treated in much the same way.
Similarly, even if you’re a charity you wouldn’t stride into Tesco and take a jar of coffee off the shelf and then stride out without paying – you recognise that it has a price on it that you must pay first. Our content and our services, such as design, photography and advertising, come with (what I think are eminently reasonable) fees that keep this newspaper going.
Indeed, our extensive archive represents years of work, training and lived experience by photographers, reporters and designers.
We want people to enjoy it and, where appropriate, use it – but also to recognise that creativity has a value.
The way people consume news may be changing, but good local journalism, strong images and original work remain worth protecting.
A few social media accounts have cropped up lately – some of which are run by former journalists who seem to have lost their moral compass somewhere along the line – and they are lifting other people’s work and profiting from it.
And if you think I’m going to shut up about this, then brace yourself because I’m only just getting started.
