'Journalism Matters – and this is why' – Message from editor Mark Drew

True, it's a little self-indulgent, but it is sometimes worth reminding ourselves as an industry that we hold power and influence – and that we should always use it with care.

I am proud to be editor of sister titles the Express & Star and Shropshire Star, which are this year celebrating respective 150th and 60th anniversaries. I live on the edge of Wolverhampton and I can see the Wrekin from my house on a good day.

Both patches are very different. The Express & Star takes in the urban Black Country as well as more leafy areas like Staffordshire and Wyre Forest. The Shropshire Star has a largely rural audience, although Telford suffers some of the challenges faced by nearby communities like Wolverhampton and Dudley.

We are alive to the issues that impact our region. We aim to highlight them, debate why they happen and try to use our influence to make a difference.

Journalists can, if you excuse the pun, get a bad press. But British democracy would be poorer without it. Just take the Westminster expenses scandal, or Covid party-gate as examples. They were uncovered by journalists. The Post Office Horizon misjustice was reported for many years by regional newspapers including ours before the campaign was turbo boosted by an ITV drama.

The Express & Star has been nominated for an award as part of Journalism Matters for its campaign to ban zombie knives. It was launched in print and online with a patchwork of faces, all youngsters who have lost their lives through knife crime.

This wasn't a lone fight. We simply added our voice to others, particularly the incredibly courageous family of Ronan Kanda, the 16-year-old who died after being attacked close to his Wolverhampton home by two other boys with a machete and sword. They have successfully lobbied at the highest level of government for the sale of these designer knives to be banned. Legislation is on the way.

Our campaign included the creation of a 50-minute documentary called Grief, in which families of victims spoke. We interviewed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and got reassurances from Sir Keir Starmer that knife crime was high on his priority list as a new PM.

In Shropshire we have highlighted the annual problems caused by flooding and the need for long-term solutions. We have spoken to farmers about the curse of rural crime and written extensively about the huge pressure rural communities find themselves under from house builders, especially along the M54 corridor where towns like Shifnal are growing fast. We have given voice in recent years to those who have been affected by the maternity scandal at hospitals in Telford and Shrewsbury and in recent weeks have been looking at proposed council cuts and their impact on Salopians.

We have also campaigned to help those struggling with the cost of living crisis, supporting food banks through our Feed a Family campaign, which won the Making a Difference Awards in 2022.

Of course newspapers have seen huge changes in recent years.

We remain fiercely proud of our printed newspaper, but have also embraced fully the digital age. Today, our websites have hundreds of thousands of online viewers each day and thousands subscribe to the premium Express & Star and Shropshire Star Plus service, which provides exclusive online material.

The future for local journalism is bright – and we are nothing without the audience we serve, so thank you for your loyalty.