Why the YEP needs our readers now more than ever - Laura Collins, YEP Editor

It was the go-to platform for telling our extended social network what we were up to, for sharing our grainy mobile phone photos from a night out and for throwing virtual ‘objects’ at one another.

Fast forward more than a decade later and the platform has become so much more than that. The complicated algorithm feeds us with content that it believes we are interested in based on our search history - as well as being a breeding ground for misinformation.

The all-powerful tech giant announced last week that it would be getting a name change in a virtual reality rebrand.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed Meta would encompass Facebook and apps such as Instagram, WhatsApp and the virtual reality brand Oculus.

It comes at a time when the company faces a public relations crisis over a series of leaked documents about the problems that have plagued the social media platform.

And it all stems from one very crucial issue that underpins everything: trust.

According to new statistics from Ofcom, just 33 per cent of people think that social media is a trustworthy source of news.

And never has the issue of trust and misinformation been so prevalent than over the last year as people across the globe have struggled to get to grips with the impact of the pandemic.

The value of trusted journalism to help us navigate our way through these uncertain times cannot be underestimated.

A report from Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that 73 per cent of people agreed that news media had explained what they can do in response to the pandemic.

During these challenging times people have turned to titles - like the Yorkshire Evening Post - to help them make sense of what is happening in the community where they live.

Since 1890, it has been this newspaper’s duty and responsibility to report on what is happening in our city, without fear or favour.

We have long campaigned on behalf of the city we are proud to call our home, as well as sparking debate and scrutiny around the issues that matter most to you.

Just take the start of the Cop26 crunch climate summit in Glasgow this week as a case in point. We know from our letters pages that climate change and its impact matters.

We are here to facilitate the debate around innovative solutions as to how our city can play its part in the global challenge.

But in order for our industry to keep thriving, as we bounce back from the pandemic, we need support.

That help comes on two fronts. On an industry level as to how we can create a level platform for regional news against social media giants and to end the vitriol of online abuse.

The other is support from you, our loyal readers, who help to invest in trusted quality regional journalism.

As the industry marks Journalism Matters Week, we need you more than ever to help us keep telling our city’s stories for years to come.

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