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28 August 2026
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Trust in journalism

Journalists taking notes at a conference.

Opinion: Why self-uploaded stories are a direct threat to trusted local news

Automated upload portals might save corporate publishers time and money, but they destroy public trust. Here is why proper ethical journalism will always come first for our readers...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Mobile phone and laptop with social media icons Image Anucha Tiemsom Shutterstock

Keeping conversations constructive: Our social media terms and conditions

Progress Publishing, the publisher of the Bedford Independent and Bedford Clanger, welcomes healthy, respectful debate on our social media channels. We fiercely defend responsible free speech...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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