DID you know that:

There are 1,000 local media titles in the UK (Local Media Works Database2017).

? Local newspapers in print and digital are read by 42 million GB adults

(YouGov 2018).

? Local press in print and digital is the most trusted source for local news and information. Local press in print and digital – 74 per cent, local commercial TV – 73per cent, local commercial radio 73per cent, search engines 43per cent , social media 22 per cent and other websites 39 per cent (YouGov 2018).

? 65 per cent of people who read a newspaper every day read a local newspaper (TGI 2017).

? Local newspapers in print and digital (74per cent ) are more than three times more trusted for local news and information than social media platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn (22per cent ) (YouGov 2018).

? 52 per cent of local news brand readers are ABC1s (TGI 2017).

? Local newspapers reach more 15-24-year olds than commercial radio (TGI 2017).

? 51 per cent of local media site users took an action as a result of seeing an advertisement in the last month (Comscore/1XL 2015).

For the past 148 years the Abergavenny Chronicle has been part of a proud tradition of local newspapers which is set to be celebrated next week as part of Journalism Matters week. The week celebrates the vital role played by the local press and the importance trusted journalism which is at the heart of The Abergavenny Chronicle. When it was first published almost 150 years ago The Chronicle’s founder Edwin Morgan aimed to keep the local population abreast of what was going in their town - and today we aim to do exactly the same.

Week in, week out, without fail, the Chronicle keeps you up to date with the news that matters to you most - holding politicians to account, making sure your taxes are put to the best use, publicising your campaigns, local events, fundraising and other happenings, your good news, your bad news, sport, and what’s on – we are your local news service and are committed to being your eyes and ears and your champions.

In short, if it happens in Abergavenny we want to know about it because what is going in our local communities has the greatest impact on the lives of ourselves and our families - and as local reporters most of us live in the area too, so if it’s important to you, its important to us.

The Chronicle is part of the Tindle Newspaper group, which above all else makes being local and making a difference to the lives of its readers and the business community a priority - it may just be a co-incidence that the top three town’s recently voted the happiest in Britain, all boast Tindle newspapers, we like to think that it’s not!

As well as its print editions, the Chronicle has a website giving you up-to-the-minute news 24 hours a day, along with busy Facebook and Twitter pages. Investing in print and digital journalism is important to the Abergavenny?Chronicle and Tindle Newspapers and we take our responsibility to our readers very seriously.

We hope you know you can rely on the Chronicle to keep you up to date with is happening locally, and nationally where it affects you, and always being there to fight your corner.

With the growth of fake news, it has never been more important to have trust in what you are reading and we remain firm in our aim of providing our readers with the facts free of prejudice or bias.

And that is where local newspapers like the Chronicle are so important. Research shows increasingly that people are becoming increasingly connected to their local community. People are spending more time and money locally and are more positive about key issues at a local level. And trusted local media prompts people to have a sense of pride in the area they live.

As part of the Journalism Matters campaign we will be joining local papers all over the country to take part in #trustednewsday on Thursday, May 16 to take you behind the sceenes and show readers exactly how trusted news is gathered, produced and distributed over the week.

Look out early next week on this website as well as the Chronicle’s Twitter feed and Facebook page for details of how you can get involved, speak to our reporters and put editor Liz Davies on the spot with your questions in a live online question and answer session.

Look out also for information about our very special guest editor, who will be taking the helm of the Chronicle for one week only...