Progress Publishing was founded with the editorial mission of providing Bedford Borough residents 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 via our publications, Bedford Independent and Bedford Clanger, in several 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.
- Rumours won’t sway us. 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.
- We avoid sensationalism and always aim to write headlines that accurately reflect the story. A well-informed community is a safer, stronger community.
- Whether we are holding public officials to account, championing a local hero, celebrating an independent business, finding a missing person, or helping police bring a criminal to justice, our reporting will focus on the humans of Bedford.
- We will report on news related to Bedford Borough and neighbouring areas and national issues that may have a local impact, so that our readers are as informed as possible.
- We will work hard to provide breaking news and continue providing updates when they may be of significant interest to or impact our readers.
- Progress Publishing will provide the 21st-century news desk that Bedford needs in the 21st century. Our reporting will be free to access and easy to read across all electronic devices.
- If there is a campaign that will spotlight 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 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.
Our About Us page provides more information about Progress Publishing, our ethics policy, our team, and our ownership.
Adopted: May 2020
Last amended: May 2025
