The Bedford Independent has been shortlisted for a prestigious Press Gazette Future of Media Award, recognising its commitment to delivering high-quality, ethical and accurate news to Bedfordians across the Borough.
The newspaper’s coverage of the 4 July 2024 General Election is up for the Best Live Journalism (Specialist/Regional) award, alongside entries from Chronicle Live and Teesside Live, both owned by publishing giant Reach, and Germany’s Allgemeine Zeitung.
For a small, independent publisher like the Bedford Independent to be recognised in this category, which rewards the kind of fast-paced, resource-intensive journalism typically associated with much larger newsrooms, is a powerful endorsement of the quality, professionalism and dedication of its team.
It demonstrates that truly local, community-rooted reporting can hold its own on a national and international stage, even with far fewer resources. The Bedford Independent has just one person covering its news desk each day.
The Future of Media Awards, now in their fourth year, celebrate editorial, commercial and product excellence in digital journalism from across the UK and around the world.
“Outstanding reporting”
The Press Gazette is one of the world’s most respected trade titles in journalism, and the awards attract hundreds of entries from newsrooms large and small.
The judges noted how shortlisted entries demonstrated outstanding reporting, audience engagement, and storytelling under live conditions, qualities we are proud to bring to our readers every day.
The Bedford Independent’s entry focused on the rolling coverage of election night, which ran from 6:15pm through to nearly 6am the following morning.
Read: General election results for Bedford & Kempston, North Bedfordshire and Mid Bedfordshire
Covering three constituencies with just one reporter on the ground, its live reporting, combined with blow-by-blow updates from the count, exclusive interviews with candidates, photography and audio clips, and real-time analysis of the results, often ahead of larger regional and national outlets.
All while also providing updates to the BBC, ITN and the Press Association.
The coverage was seen over 25,000 times during the night, with accompanying social media updates reaching more than 16,500 local readers and prompting lively interactions on various platforms.
Trusted source of news
Press Gazette’s editor-in-chief and chairman of judges, Dominic Ponsford, said this year’s awards attracted more than 200 entries and praised the growing diversity and innovation in digital journalism across the industry.
Read: Our series on media literacy
Bedford Independent editor, Paul Hutchinson, added, “Whether or not we win, being shortlisted is a massive coup, particularly for a small, independent newsroom with a tiny team.
“It reflects our passion for Bedford Borough and our ongoing commitment to lead by example in the delivery of ethical, professional and comprehensive reporting, with accurate, unbiased news updates, despite tight resources.
“Erica, Julia, Tom and I remain proud to be behind a trusted source of news in Bedford Borough and beyond, and we’ll continue to do everything we can to live up to your expectations of us.”
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on Thursday, 11 September 2025.
