For Journalism Matters Week, Express and Star editor Mark Drew has talked about why journalism matters to the local community and what it means to edit the Express and Star.
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00:00It's a real privilege to be the editor of the Express and Star and Shropshire Star.
00:06It's not something I take lightly or the people who work here.
00:10I realise that we have a great deal of influence within the newspaper and the website in reporting the local news.
00:20And I also realise that we can make a big difference to the community if we use that influence properly.
00:27In recent times we've been running a knife campaign, not on our own but backing the community,
00:35especially the family of Ronan Cander who tragically lost his life and who have so courageously campaigned
00:42for more powers to stop the sale of zombie and ninja swords.
00:49It's something we hope we've made a slight difference with and hopefully will make the streets much safer.
00:56We've run in recent years a Feed a Family campaign, also to highlight the problems during the cost of living crisis
01:03and to help food banks in the area.
01:05And also during the Covid crisis, which were difficult times for all newspapers,
01:10we used our ability to link up communities and to help people who were isolated and in need.
01:17Those are all issues that we feel very strongly about and also very proud to make a difference.
01:23We highlight issues that affect all of you, from flooding in Shropshire to the current cash crisis affecting all councils
01:32run by all different parties and in all areas of the region.
01:36We also, as a newspaper, the Express and Star and the Shropshire Star, cover council meetings that other media don't attend.
01:46If we weren't there, then decisions could go and could be made without any publicity at all.
01:55So we like to think that we're actually helping democracy being seen to be working and taking people to account as well.
02:02We're also the only media to cover court cases as a matter of course.
02:07So again, in the public interest, if we're not there, they don't go reported.
02:12We don't always get it right. Some things we get wrong and we like to own up to our mistakes if we do.
02:17But on the whole, I'd like to think we're a force for good.
02:21We'll always stand up for the West Midlands, Shropshire and Staffordshire.
02:26We're very proud to represent that region.
02:30And I'm very, very proud to be the editor of the newspapers.
02:35I'd like to thank everybody who uses the Express and Star and the Shropshire Star, who logs on to our website and who buy our papers and who help us keep going.