Journalism Matters – Covering our communities

Two reporters are working with us as part of a project run by the newspaper industry in collaboration with Facebook.

Harriet Evans and James Vukmirovic have joined our team with specific briefs in mind. Harriet specialises in stories involving young people and James has been building contacts with religious and ethnic groups across the region.

The idea is to increase the amount of coverage we give both in-paper and online to certain parts of the community.

Engaging

Community News Reporters work at regional newspapers across the country. At our sister paper the Shropshire Star, for example, Charlotte Bentley has the job of engaging with the county’s more rural and isloated communities.

Harriet and James, who are both Black Country born and bred, have taken to their roles with enthusiasm. As well as concentrating on their main roles, they have also been able to widen their work – Harriet recently getting creative in the kitchen for a feature on the variety of ingredients that can be found at your corner shop.

Harriet said she has enjoyed getting to know about the good work of people through groups in the region.

She said: “Young people are generally painted in a negative light in the mainstream media, something which I am aiming to alter.

“As a reporter I have met courageous youngsters battling illnesses, inspirational youth workers who help to turn disadvantaged people’s lives around, young fundraisers going above and beyond to help others and incredibly talented and bright teenagers who will no doubt go on to do great things.

“One of the stories I covered in 2019 which I believed help to make a difference shared the experience of a teenage boy who suffers with a serious and rare form of Crohn’s. He was awaiting specialist treatment at a hospital in London.

However, his mum, who is disabled, could not afford accommodation for herself to stay in the city for a week.

After sharing his story, hundreds of pounds of donations came in for it. This gave me a real sense of achievement and showed me the positive power that community journalism has.

“I take immense pride in working on these stories and features and developing lasting connections and trust with the people I work alongside.

“I have been struck by the sheer enthusiasm and passion for supporting young people. Groups like InPower CIC, Kicsters, Base25, Dudley Youth Council and Fun Club Hub do an amazing job.”

James added: “Working with religious, faith and ethnic communities has been educational and eye-opening.

“I am not a religious person, something I believe has helped in this role as I have been able to visit different religious buildings and different religious groups and tell their stories in a non-biased and informed manner.

“I wrote about the work the Aisha Mosque in Walsall had done to be Covid-safe after reopening, talking about how the mosque had been a community leader and very prepared for lockdown and reopening.

Representing

“I featured the Maslenitsa celebration held by U Island CIC, a group representing the Eastern European diaspora in Sandwell.

“I also completed a feature on Wolverhampton Wrestling Club, which trains at Guru Nanak Satsang Gurdwara in Wolverhampton. I took part in a training session. I couldn’t walk properly for three days afterwards, but the article really shone a light on the work done by the club in the community.

“I have only scratched the surface of this diverse and multi-cultural region and I look forward o learning more.”