Forum topic: Enfield Independent to get BBC-funded reporter
Enfield Independent to get BBC-funded reporter
Basil Clarke
12 Dec 2017 23:53 #3437
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The publisher of the Enfield Independent, Newsquest Media, will be one of the main beneficiaries of a scheme whereby the BBC will spend £8 million a year to improve the reporting capabilities of local newspapers throughout the UK. One of the 37 reporter posts which will be "embedded" with Newsquest titles has been allocated to the Enfield Independent and will cover the boroughs of Enfield, Barnet and Haringey.
The role of the "local democracy reporters" - 150 in all - will be to "significantly improve the reporting on councils and public institutions, leading to greater public accountability for our local politicians." Their output will also be available for use by the BBC. Conversely, the BBC will provide reporting, data and media output to the local newspaper groups.
The fact that the 150 posts will mostly be embedded in the "traditional" local press is a disappointment for some "hyperlocal" publishers, who in some areas can justifiably claim to be providing far more comprehensive coverage of local politics. (I don't claim that PGC is among these - there are some truly impressive "hyperlocals", whether online or in print, in various parts of London and the UK as a whole.)
The crucial factor explaining why the "local democracy reporters" have gone to established papers appears to be that they meet the requirement for having proper HR functions. No doubt this is true and would be a problem for most hyperlocals, but another criterion was that the successful bidders must have "a strong track record of relevant journalism in the area they were applying to cover”. I have some difficulty understanding how the Enfield Independent can claim to meet this criterion. Its coverage of local political issues is these days practically zero, apart from regurgitation of some press releases put out by Enfield Council. The Independent used to print readers' letters, many of which related to local politics, but since the closure of its superior rival, the Gazette, almost all of the contributions on the letters page are on national or international subjects.
If we can ignore Enfield for the moment, in both our neighbouring boroughs there are very serious current political issues. The Haringey Development Vehicle is a massively important and controversial issue that is causing ructions in the local Labour Party. Barnet Council's outsourcing of most of its functions to Capita is causing all sorts of problems and scandals, not least the decimation of the borough's public library service, especially the children's libraries (which has cost more than it has "saved"). And what to make of a council that passes a motion as pathetic as "Sadiq Khan is an Enemy of the People of Barnet"?)
Whatever your view on these issues, they are important, there are arguments on both sides which need to be aired, and there are enough ongoing developments to fill several pages of a weekly paper, but they get scarcely a mention in the Newsquest titles. It is possible to follow these issues on various local and London-wide blogs and Twitter feeds, but that rather proves my point.
So, does the Enfield Independent have a "strong track record"? I think not, but hopefully, once the new reporter is in place, we'll start to see an improvement.
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Enfield Independent to get BBC-funded reporter
PGC Webmaster
16 Dec 2017 15:05 #3438
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First, as I mentioned in the weekly newletter, this week's paper had more Enfield coverage and at least one letter from an Enfield resident (criticising the Mayor of London's policy of reducing car usage - the writer instead says that London should be expanded to make more room for cars*).
Second, the Independent has published information about the new BBC-funded post:
As part of a UK-wide ground-breaking initiative between the BBC and regional publishers, we are seeking to recruit 37 Local Democracy Reporters based across the UK, initially on a two-year fixed term contract.
The vacancies are based in various local authority regions across the UK.
We are recruiting for one reporter to cover local authorities in Harrow and Brent for the Harrow Times, councils in Enfield and Barnet for the Enfield Independent and Barnet Borough Times, Waltham Forest and Redbridge councils for the Guardian series and a Greater London reporter for the Times Series, based in our Watford office.
About the scheme:
This unique scheme is designed to increase coverage and scrutiny of local authorities across the UK. Funded by the BBC and run by media publishers, the reporters will offer in-depth coverage of our local authorities. The key aim will be to ensure deep scrutiny of the way our local government institutions operate, decisions they make and how they spend public money. Successful applicants will play a vital part in launching the scheme and ensuring it is a success, with the aim of expanding in future years. Acting as a trusted source of news and ambassador for the scheme, the successful applicant will be adept at identifying issues and stories buried in council agendas which need to be brought to the public’s attention. Reporting to our group editor, this role offers the chance to get involved at the start of a high-profile initiative and help shape the future of the scheme.
Key responsibilities will involve:
- Delivering strong content on a daily basis, primarily focusing on text but also providing images, audio and video as and when required
- Creating engaging content which drives audience through SEO and social media awareness
- Ensuring all content is politically-neutral and balanced, providing a fair reflection of views
- Ensuring agendas for councils and public bodies are scrutinised, identifying issues and stories which need to be brought to the public’s attention
- Delivering live content, providing two-way interviews for broadcast media
- Providing monthly report on key issues and themes from public authorities for stakeholder media organisations
- Ensuring that all matters, decisions and issues relating to the public authorities covered in the Local Democracy Reporter Scheme Editorial Brief are covered in a timely, impartial and audience-friendly way
You:
To be considered for this role, you will be qualified to NCE-standard or equivalent with two years’ experience working to daily deadlines alongside shorthand proficiency of 100wpm. This essential criteria will go hand in hand with your ability to provide outstanding content in text, audio and video format. You will be able to demonstrate a deep understanding of the workings of local government and a track record of delivering great ideas for content and building contacts. A solid working knowledge of social media and the way it can be used to drive audience and engagement is essential for this role. You will be an excellent communicator, enjoy working under pressure and thrive on the unique challenge this role offers. Although based in the newsroom detailed above, you will be providing copy for all publishers signed up to the scheme.
This sounds encouraging, we certainly need politically neutral and balanced scrutiny of local councils.
According to the Indepedent report, the new reporter will be covering only Enfield and Barnet, not Haringey as well, which is what I saw elsewhere. So there should be better coverage of Enfield Council.
The full Independent report is at www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/news/15776220.Reporters_wanted_to_help_your_local_paper_and_the_BBC_hold_the_council_to_account_/
*Expanding London so that there is more room for cars. Mr Musey may be onto something. Perhaps we should try increasing the size of the atmosphere so that we can pump more carbon dioxide into it without causing disastrous climate change? Or we could double the size of the Earth to solve overcrowding due to population increase?
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