Celebrating Great Journalism - 29 November

Welcome to our weekly round-up of impactful journalism from across our 120+ trusted brands, from national titles like the Mirror, Express, Daily Record and Daily Star, to local brands like MyLondon, BelfastLive and the Manchester Evening News, as well as our US-based brands.

This week’s newsletter is brought to you by David Higgerson, Chief Digital Publisher.

Today’s vote on the Assisted Dying Bill

Today, MPs around the UK will make one of the most profound decisions they are ever likely to be faced with: How to vote in the Assisted Dying bill.

The Express has been at the forefront of campaigning for a change in the law, to permit assisted dying in a very clear set of circumstances.

As well as campaigning coverage in print and online, this week the Express broadcast a 42-minute documentary on YouTube looking at the issue, presented by Health Editor Hanna Geissler.  Hanna explores the campaign to change the law, and what it will mean for those involved. You can view it here.

Storm Bert hits the UK

Last weekend was a demonstration of just how important our journalism is in times of emergency. As Storm Bert swept in across the UK and Ireland, teams from many of our titles worked around the clock to keep readers up to date.

Over the weekend, our teams across the UK wrote around 1,000 articles, keeping people informed. DevonLive reported a rare red flood warning issued as rivers burst their banks, WalesOnline on the widespread disruption across Wales, communities in and around Cork were battered by storm weather, while in Yorkshire, flood warning sirens going ahead of flooding were captured on camera by YorkshireLive.

NorthWalesLive reported on people being rescued from the floods which followed the storm, EdinburghLive reported on how the storm brought chaos to Edinburgh, while the Manchester Evening News was on the scene as villages flooded.

Coverage has continued into this week, as we covered the clean-up operation. At WalesOnline, the future of the National Lido was covered by Local Democracy Reporter Anthony Lewis, Ellie Gosley reported on the Rhondda residents left waiting for bottled water after tap water was contaminated, and Political Editor Ruth Mosalski reported on how some of Wales’most vulnerable people have lost everything just before Christmas.

In a more heartwarming story, GlasgowLive met the shoppers who braved the storm to give a local bakery a send off after it announced it was closing for good this weekend.

Pets being abandoned in cost of living crisis

Around the UK, we write about the cost of living crisis on an almost daily basis. Several brands now have dedicated WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger communities dedicated to sharing tips on how to cope.

On Tuesday, the Daily Star shared another angle to the crisis - a sharp rise in pets being dumped. According to the RSPCA, the number of people having to give up having to give up pets has risen by 50% since 2021. In an editorial, The Star said: “A dog didn’t choose to become part of your family, but once he or she is in, they will always be loyal to you. And that loyalty deserves to be repaid.”

This week also saw a major development in an investigation the Manchester Evening News has been working on for some time. Senior reporter Nicole Wootton-Cane has been leading coverage of a man who posts videos of women on nights out in Manchester, in a manner which has left many of those caught on camera feeling distressed and humiliated. As a result of the investigation, police arrested a man in Bradford this week. Bodycam footage of the arrest was shared with the M.E.N.

Finding new angles in Sport

In sport, our regional sports teams used the international break to look at the role football plays in the lives of fans.

The team behind our Aston Villa podcast, Claret & Blue, recorded a special episode looking at the positive impact football can have on mental health. The YouTube version of The Villa Social - Five Villa mates open up about men's mental health - prompted 150 comments from fans facing similar life challenges who were grateful that we had highlighted such an important topic.You can see the episode here.

Tottenham Hotspur Correspondent Alasdair Gold of Football.London looked at what it’s like to be an international fan of Spurs. At TeesideLive, Craig Johns told the story of the Middlesbrough player who paid for an Uber to make sure a fan got home from QPR. CoventryLive’s Andy Turner dug into the dismay from fans at the departure of Coventry boss Mark Robins and at NottinghamLive, Sarah Clapson met the Garibaldi Girls, who are fighting misogyny in football.

Thanks for reading, we’ll be back with more highlights next week.