Sign up for daily news
28 August 2026
Facebook-f Threads Instagram Linkedin Youtube
Search

Media Literacy Project

Newspaper April Fool's that turned heads in previous years. Image: Chancellor (The Guardian), Polar Bear (The Telegraph), Pizza (Daily Express).

Opinion: In an age of fake news, are April Fool’s Day stories in newspapers ethical?

Trust in journalism is fragile. Paul Hutchinson and former editor Chris Gill debate whether April Fool’s stories are harmless tradition or unethical misinformation in the age of fake news...
Read more
Borough Hall car park. Image: Bedford Independent

Bedford Ian writes…

2 April 2026: Pothole-free paradise, Responsible reporting, Rabbit responsibility, Selective outrage, and Tiny tennis. Bedford Ian has been looking at recent goings on across Bedford Borough...
Read more
News scrutiny concept and artwork Image Accogliente Design Shutterstock

Bedford Independent editor among first accredited ethical journalists in UK

Bedford Independent editor Paul Hutchinson has gained ethical journalism accreditation through Impress, reinforcing the title’s commitment to trust, accuracy and accountability...
Read more
(l-r) Michelle Gribbon (Senior Parliamentary Researcher), Mohammad Yasin MP (Bedford & Kempston, Labour) Jonathan Heawood (Executive Director of PINF) Image Bedford Independent

Bedford Independent meets MPs in Westminster to discuss future of local journalism

The Bedford Independent joined MPs in Westminster to highlight rising UK “news deserts” and discuss how to protect trusted, accountable local journalism. The event, hosted in partnership...
Read more
Martin Baron. Image: supplied by World News Day

World News Day: Global lessons from a press in peril

Martin Baron, former chief editor of The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and the Miami Herald, whose newsrooms won 17 Pulitzer Prizes, argues that democracy cannot exist without a free press...
Read more
World News Day 2025 Jonathan Heawood

World News Day: Regenerating the base layer of democracy – local news

Today is World News Day, and we're proud to stand in solidarity with newsrooms and journalists worldwide in highlighting the challenges facing modern news reporting and journalism...
Read more
Journalists taking notes at a conference.

Media Literacy Project: A guide to how journalism works and why it needs your support

Over the past few months, the Bedford Independent has been exploring how journalism works and why that matters. Through our Media Literacy Project, we’ve opened the curtain on...
Read more
No News is Bad News generic logo Image PINF

Support local journalism and help keep trusted news alive

Local journalism matters. It informs communities, holds power to account, and strengthens democracy. But producing accurate, ethical and timely news isn’t free. In fact, it takes...
Read more
General Election count floor John Bunyan Centre 4 July 2024. Image: Bedford Independent

No reporters, no questions, no accountability: Why news deserts are a threat to our communities

Across the UK and beyond, entire communities are being left without access to reliable, local news. These areas, often referred to as news deserts, are increasing in number...
Read more
Impress Regulated Member badge Feature Image

Why press regulation matters: Corrections, clarifications and transparency – what happens when we get it wrong?

Even the most responsible newsrooms make mistakes. Facts change, people miscommunicate, and sometimes information available at the time turns out to be incomplete or inaccurate...
Read more

Get the latest Bedford news first

Subscribe to our free daily email for our lead story each morning before we publish it anywhere else, plus the key Bedford Borough headlines from the last 24 hours – without having to log into social media.

I've already subscribed (dont show again)