The Bridge is an independent news service for Berwick Upon Tweed.
It’s here to inform and celebrate our lovely community and fill the gap left by regional media. It also helps address the local democratic deficit – covering Council matters; town, county and beyond.
The Bridge is part of a new wave of independent publishers; reporting WITH the community not just about the community. There are growing opportunities for people to contribute and help.
Editor Wendy Robertson (pictured above) trained at The Scotsman/Newcastle Journal, worked at BBC Radio Newcastle and in freelance TV production on programmes such as ‘Location, Location, Location’. ‘I fell in love with Berwick and hope to make a contribution to this wonderful town.’
2024 has been a big year for The Bridge. First there was a shortlisting in the Publisher Newsletters Awards, then a placing in the finals of the Press Gazette British Journalism Awards to recognise and reward public interest journalism.
One of the BJA judges said of the submission by The Bridge, which comprised several reports about Berwick Town Council:
‘Hyper-local, granular stories like this are becoming a rarity. The odds were heavily stacked against The Bridge in attempting to pursue this one, not least its lack of resources.
‘The tenaciousness shown here is an exceptional reminder that it is still being done at the grassroots level.’
Rather fittingly Wendy is also longlisted in the Tenacious Awards for Journalism for proposing a piece of journalism investigating the growing scourge of stalking. The winners of the TAs will be launched in early 2025.
In October 2024 Wendy spent a weekend in Glasgow at the annual PINF – Public Interest News Foundation – Conference, learning and discussing ways to improve local reporting to serve our communities even better.
