The Yellow Advertiser Wins Making a Difference with Shoebury Sex Ring Exposed

A campaign by The Yellow Advertiser which unearthed the existence of a hidden council report on a paedophile ring in the 1980s and lobbied for greater local council transparency has won the Making a Difference award. The award is part of Journalism Matters, a new campaign highlighting the vital role trusted news media journalism plays in our democratic society.

An online poll for the Award saw thousands of votes cast as members of the public picked their favourite out of 24 local newspaper campaigns from the past year. The Yellow Advertiser was announced as the winner by NMA vice chairman Henry Faure Walker at the Regional Press Awards today.

Seven victims have come forward since the Yellow Advertiser began campaigning in 2015 and police have said the coverage inspired victims of unrelated abuse come forward for the first time.

Foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, gave his backing to Journalism Matters earlier this week. Mr Hunt said: “I would also like to pay tribute to the news media here in Britain. Journalism is more in demand than ever before as people seek out trusted content, with 48 million people in the UK viewing a local or national news brand every month.

“I am delighted to support Journalism Matters and I hope it will help us all to champion the importance of media freedom.”

Hundreds of news media titles have taken part in the campaign this week with Journalism Matters being backed by internationally by bodies such as the News Media Alliance in the United States and WAN-IFRA as well as UK organisations such as the NCTJ and the Society of Editors.

In an article for the Week, NMA chairman David Dinsmore called for the benefits of journalism to society to be properly acknowledged.  

Mr Dinsmore said: “Take the brilliant local newspaper activity showcased for this year’s Making a Difference campaign, highlighting their power to champion positive change in the communities they serve. 

He added: “This year, the industry has come together to launch Journalism Matters – a new campaign designed to highlight the importance of journalism to our democratic society. I hope this initiative will trigger a much-needed reset in the way journalists and journalism are viewed.”