Readers may notice something different about the Bedford Independent and Bedford Clanger today, as parts of our stories have been deliberately redacted to mark Indie News Week and warn that “no news is bad news”.
The temporary redactions today (15 June) are designed to highlight how frustrating it is when readers can only access part of the story, and to show what could happen permanently if independent local news publications are not properly supported.
The redactions will be removed tomorrow, but for one day, they offer a visible reminder of what Bedford could lose without independent, balanced, locally owned news.
Half the story
As part of Indie News Week, the Bedford Independent and Bedford Clanger are joining other independent publishers across the UK in emphasising the importance of trusted local journalism.
While other independent publications across the UK will highlight the week in their own ways, for our readers, the redacted sections are intended to be inconvenient.
We make no apology for that. That is the point.
They show what it feels like when important details are missing, when local context is absent, or when readers are left with only half the story.
They also highlight a wider risk. Without independent local journalism, communities are left to rely on incomplete information, rumours, and fake news on social media, or on stories shaped by organisations with their own agendas.
Paul Hutchinson, editor of the Bedford Independent, said: “We know redacting parts of our stories will be frustrating for readers today, but that frustration is exactly what we want people to feel.
“Tomorrow, the redactions will be removed. But if local independent news is not supported, that missing information could become permanent.
“Without properly resourced local journalism, Bedfordians would not just lose stories. They would lose scrutiny, balance, context and a publication that is committed to reporting on the issues that matter to them.”
How to help
There are three simple ways readers can support the Bedford Independent and Bedford Clanger during Indie News Week and beyond.
First, sign up for our daily email
This helps us reduce our usage of social media platforms, whose algorithms decide whether readers see local news at all.
It also helps keep our relationship with readers direct, rather than dependent on big tech companies owned overseas. You also get our lead story of the day at 6am before anyone else.
Second, donate what you think we are worth
For less than the price of a cup of coffee each month, readers can help fund local news for years to come.
That support could help us employ more journalists, cover more stories and provide even better local reporting than we do now.
Third, tell friends, family and colleagues to sign up for our email and read our news.
Supporting trusted local journalism is also about choosing where to direct your attention.
Readers can help by rejecting publications that lack clear ethical or editorial standards and choosing truly local news providers that hold themselves to the same standards they expect of others.
Paul added, “We are proud of what we have built, but we cannot pretend independent local journalism is easy.
“Every day, we work hard to give Bedford reliable, accurate and useful local news. But if people value that work, we need their support.
“Signing up to our email, making a donation or simply encouraging someone else to read us all makes a difference.
“Local news does not survive because people say it matters. It survives because people choose to support it.”
What disappears
Supporting the Bedford Independent and the Bedford Clanger provides Bedford Borough with far more than a local news website and a print publication.
- It helps sustain independent, ethical and balanced news from a local publication dedicated to reporting on the issues that matter to local people.
- It supports unrivalled sports coverage, including dedicated reporting on Bedford Blues, Bedford Town, Real Bedford, Bedford Cricket Club and other local teams and athletes.
- It helps keep Bedford’s cultural scene visible, including through free event listings across the Borough.
- It supports our column pages, which give readers a direct link to politicians, community groups, charities, environmental organisations, and local voices highlighting the issues on our doorstep.
- It gives Bedfordians a chance to air their views or highlight something important to them through our letters pages.
- It helps make the Bedford Independent Everyday Heroes Awards possible, celebrating the people who make Bedford brilliant.
- It supports work experience programmes for local students considering a career in journalism.
- It also helps create collaborative and mutually beneficial partnerships with local businesses of all sizes.
Erica Roffe, editor and founder of the Bedford Clanger, said: “The Bedford Clanger has always been about celebrating the creativity, culture, heritage and independent spirit that make Bedford special.
“Local culture needs local coverage. Without it, events are missed, artists are overlooked, venues lose visibility, and the Borough’s unique character becomes harder to see.
“Independent local publishing is part of Bedford’s ecosystem. It supports the people, places and ideas that help the town thrive.”
Erica added, “The Bedford Clanger was set up because we believe Bedford is stronger when people work together for the greater good of the Borough.
“It has always been about more than listing events or sharing what is on. It is about helping people see the value in what is happening around them, supporting the people making things happen, and reminding Bedfordians that this town is worth backing.
“That shared pride does not happen by accident. It needs people to champion it, and that is what independent local publishing allows us to do.”
Local value
Progress Publishing, the publisher behind the Bedford Independent and Bedford Clanger, is locally owned and committed to Bedford.
That means the money generated by our work is not extracted from the town and sent elsewhere. It is spent locally, remains local, and helps support Bedford’s economy.
Our work also supports local charities, community groups and sports teams through coverage, partnerships, sponsorships and practical support.
Every advert, donation, event, partnership, patronage, and reader sign-up helps keep independent local journalism alive in Bedford.
It also helps us remain answerable to our readers, not to remote shareholders, political interests, big tech platforms or millionaire/billionaire owners based overseas.
No news
Indie News Week (INW) is a national campaign organised by the Public Interest News Foundation (PINF). This year it runs from Monday, 15 June to Sunday, 21 June.
It is designed to raise the profile of independent news, connect local journalists with their communities and raise funds for indie outlets.
Under the banner ‘No News is Bad News’, it celebrates the role of responsible independent news publishers in strengthening democracy, holding power to account, fostering pride in place, and championing unsung local heroes.
For Bedford, that role played by the Bedford Independent and Bedford Clanger is local, practical and immediate.
It’s about knowing what is happening at the council and changes to public services.
It is about celebrating local people, covering local sport, supporting local culture and making sure Bedford’s stories are told by people who walk the same streets, drink in the same pubs, shop in the same shops, and pay the same council tax.
Today’s redactions for our publications are temporary; losing independent local news would not be.
