MPs have praised the Stroud News & Journal for the role the newspaper plays in the community, as the Journalism Matters campaign week highlights the importance of the local media.

David Drew, MP for Stroud, and Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, MP for the Cotswolds, have each shown their support to local newspapers.

Mr Drew, who has been the Labour MP for Stroud since 2017, said: “Local newspapers and their websites, as well as our broadcast media, have a vital role to play in our communities.

"They not only hold public figures to account and ensure that people know about their public services, but journalism and newspapers are also vital in celebrating and promoting the achievements and diversity of communities.

"We are fortunate in Stroud to have dedicated journalists and so many stories that deserve to be shared.

Journalism as a profession deserves our support. For too many journalists working across the globe, reporting can be an act of bravery and indeed many lose their lives. Their bravery should be a reminder to value our free and independent press and its importance to our democracy.”

Mr Clifton-Brown, who has been a Conservative MP since 1992, added: "In a time of increasing ‘fake news’ on social media, local journalism remains a reliable and professional source of local news or information.

"It creates a vital civic sphere of engagement with local communities and is an industry that has the power to create great change within our society.”

For more on this week's Journalism Matters campaign week, see

http://journalismmatters.co/