HIS MAJESTY The King has delivered a message to everyone who works in the media industry at a special reception at Buckingham Palace this evening (Wednesday).
The prestigious reception for regional media has been attended by journalists, editors, news editors and other staff.
Among them are Bullivant Media Group Ltd’s very own Ashleigh Osborne, the news editor on the Redditch Standard and Worcester Observer and reporter on the Solihull Observer, and Sonny Rackham, news editor on our Evesham and Pershore Observer, and writer for the Bromsgrove and Droitwich Standards and Malvern Observer, and finance director Ian McGahan.
Ashleigh Osborne and Sonny Rackham are among the journalists at Buckingham Palace.What the King said
In the address, King Charles said: “I have long believed that regional media, in all its forms, has a unique and vital role to play in society, perhaps even more so in these uncertain times.
“As I said in a speech to mark the tercentenary of Britain’s first daily national newspaper, back in 2002, the Press, alongside other long-standing institutions, is at the forefront of ‘defining, describing and celebrating the more profound values of our nation’.
“Two decades on, when too much focus is given to that which divides us, that role for your whole industry is more important than ever – and it starts from the ground-up, at local level, in your hands.
“Your reporting, and the work of all those who support you, helps amplify and reaffirm the rights and responsibilities we all share.
“It shines a light in dark corners, exposing injustice and wrongdoing. Above all, it helps strengthen our communities, in times of joy and at moments of sorrow.”
“You won’t always get it right. A free media is one that will and does make mistakes. But at its best, it is a cornerstone of our democracy.
“I know how commercial pressures and changing technologies have had a significant impact on your industry.
“But as the media landscape has changed, so too many of you have adapted and innovated, finding ways of sharing your journalism and engaging audiences in new and creative ways.
“It is in everyone’s interests that you should succeed.
“For without a thriving and financially robust regional media, we would all be the poorer.”
The message in full
