The Bedford Independent was founded with an editorial mission to provide the people of Bedford Borough with a modern, easy-to-access news desk.
We seek to inform and inspire the people of Bedford, through unbiased, high-quality journalism from our town centres to the most rural of the Borough’s villages.
We will do this in a number of ways:
- We will remain fiercely independent in our editorial. We will always seek to provide balance or highlight where balance was not successfully achieved, so our readers can make informed decisions.
- We won’t be swayed by rumour. Our news will be investigated thoroughly and based on facts. We will be a trusted news source and a dedicated enemy of fake news, misinformation and bias.
- Whether it is to hold public officials to account, champion a local hero, celebrate an independent business, find a missing person, or help police bring a criminal to justice, our reporting will focus on the humans of Bedford.
- We will report on news connected to Bedford Borough and national issues that may have a local impact, so our readers are as informed as possible.
- We will work hard to provide breaking news and continue providing updates when it may be of significant interest or impact to our readers.
- The Bedford Independent will be the 21st century news desk a 21st century Bedford needs. Our reporting will be free to access and easy to read across all electronic devices.
- If there is a campaign that will shine a spotlight on a local issue, we will be at the forefront of that campaign and report on the facts with balance. However, we won’t back campaigns that are divisive or put us in a biased position.
- Our writers will be from all walks of life and live and breathe the areas they report upon. Their articles will be underpinned by genuine local knowledge.
- We will echo the opinions of local people through clearly marked opinion pieces, so as to encourage open and constructive debate.
- Our readers will always have a voice. They can propose article ideas, submit letters for publication and join the debate on our social media channels.
To read more about how we will achieve our mission and how our independence underpins our editorial, you can read our Ethics and Editorial Policy.
You can read more about the Bedford Independent, our ethics policy, our team and our ownership at our About Us page.
Adopted: May 2020
Last amended: November 2022
