We're making a difference every day, says Express & Star editor Keith Harrison
Read all about it; the burglar down your street, the crash that closed your road and the inspirational teenager that made you cry.
Then there's the thousands of new jobs at the big factory being built on the edge of town.
The cuts in council services that will change the way you live.
There's the scandal at the health service and the hospitals that have performed miracles.
There's the full story on who's standing in the local elections.
There's everything some people want you to hear - and plenty that they don't.
As Local Newspaper Week begins today, it's worth considering how all these stories would have come about without the local press.
See also: Celebs give backing for Local Newspaper Week
Express & Star's Green Shoots campaign in line for award
It's fashionable for people to claim they get 'all their news off the internet' . But how does it get there in the first place?
Google does not write stories, Twitter does not have a code of conduct and Facebook does not check facts. The Express & Star has a proud history of all three.
Not that we're dismissive of new technology. Far from it; our Twitter following is nearly 35,000-strong and our Facebook 'community' is well over 20,000.
We're interacting with readers faster and more effectively than ever before, not just in print but across multiple platforms.
It may well be a cliche to say that local newspapers are the glue that binds communities together, but in an ever more disparate society, it still holds true.
Stories that are in the 'Star' are the talk of the bus stop, the chatter at the bingo and the banter at the bar.
And this year's theme of 'Making a Difference' couldn't be more apt. Whether it be our Green Shoots Fund giving away thousands of pounds to businesses so that they can create jobs and take on new trade or our hundreds of readers who bravely backed our 'no make-up selfie' appeal to raise cash for Cancer research, the Express & Star makes a difference every day.
But we're not resting on our laurels - we're moving with the times and continuing the provide a unique service so that you can enjoy reading all about it every day.
