Salford Star Explained

Salford Star
Editor:Stephen Kingston, Steven Speed
Category:local
Format:print, web
Publisher:Mary Burns Publishing
Circulation Year:2015
Total Circulation:20,000 (print)[1]
Country:United Kingdom
Based:Salford

The Salford Star was a free local news, culture and campaigning magazine based in Salford, Greater Manchester, England.[2] First published in 2006, it moved to online-only publication in 2009, although returned briefly to print in 2015–2016.[3] [4] [5] It stopped publishing in 2021 for financial reasons.[6]

Establishment

The magazine was co-founded in May 2006 by journalists Steven Speed and Stephen Kingston, who had worked together re-launching a small community magazine, the Old Trafford News.[7] [8] Kingston had previously worked freelance for mainstream publications, including the Manchester Evening News, Elle, and The Times.[9] He became frustrated that community articles were rarely accepted by publications, especially when critical of their sponsors; he experienced this particularly when attempting write about potential negative impacts of the 2002 Commonwealth Games on its host city of Manchester. Speed had previously worked as a photojournalist and on community media projects, and was approached by Graham Cooper, a youth worker in a residential regeneration area, to help set up a local paper written by and for Salford people. They decided it would be a not-for-profit publication, and advertised a public meeting at a local pub. The initial meeting was attended by 40 people.[7] The magazine received funding before its launch from UnLtd, Awards for All, and Salford City Council via the East Salford Community Committee.[2] [10]

Features

The Salford Star covered local news and culture in Salford. It also featured local history pieces, sports reporting, and ran interviews with celebrities from the area, including Christopher Eccleston, Shaun Ryder, and John Cooper Clarke.[11] The "What's On" section contained previews and reviews of local events and performances.[8] The magazine was vocal on local issues and sometimes took an active role in campaigning.

Campaigns and investigations

From its inception, it reported critically on local regeneration schemes and published investigations into the property development company Urban Splash, which at the time was responsible for many such schemes in the area.[7] In its first issue it reported on the Lowry Centre, a publicly funded arts venue which had opened six years earlier, promising to ensure it was welcoming to the community.[7] It published a photo comic of an experiment in which a reporter photographed a group of young people as they entered the building, capturing how they were quickly ejected.[12] [13] According to Kingston, Salford City Council said they were "very angry" about the action, but did meet community contributors to talk about the issues.[8] In August 2009 it campaigned alongside the Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society (TACS) and local residents to save The Tree of Knowledge, an Alan Boyson mural at Salford University that was to be demolished, resulting in the work being protected with a grade II listed status.[14]

Recurring features

The Salford Star issued a satirical series of awards called the Mary Burns Awards (named after the local historical figure, Mary Burns). They were "awarded" every January to organisations and public figures for "stupid statements, dodgy dealings and iffy activities" during the previous year, and often featured critiques related to spending, transparency and unfulfilled promises by local public bodies and their private-sector partners.[15] It also issued genuine awards for music and the arts, voted for by the readership.

Distribution and participation

12,000 copies of the first edition were hand-delivered by local volunteers to houses in East Salford, and 3,000 more were left at community and social premises to be given out. Not enough copies of the second edition were available to meet demand, and by the third issue the print run was increased to 20,000.[8] Over 100 volunteers worked for the magazine, including photographers, graphic designers and distributors.[2]

Community projects

The Salford Star ran a summer spin-off youth magazines, in which children aged eight to 14 participated in journalistic activities such as holding their own press conferences.[8] These included community relations work with local young people and children of asylum seekers. The magazine also provided training courses in journalism, photography and graphics.[2]

Recognition

The publication was shortlisted for a Paul Foot Award in 2007 and was awarded as a runner-up.[16] [17] It had been longlisted for the same award in 2006 for its investigation into Urban Splash.[7] In 2008 it won the Plain English Campaign's Plain English Award for Best Regional Newspaper[18] [19] and a How-Do award for North West Magazine of the Year.[3]

Closure

Facing a lack of funding, the publication campaigned publicly to raise money to keep running. Since its launch, it had been unable to access public funds, with Salford Council revising the criteria for Community Committees' funding of publications. In 2018 it raised £3,000 through various means including an auction of "Salford relics". Nigel Pivaro, a regular writer for the Salford Star, auctioned a brick from recently-demolished housing in Higher Broughton.[20] Also for sale was a bolt from a Salford gasometer, advertised as having been made famous by Ewan MacColl in the song Dirty Old Town, but this was gifted to the singer's family in thanks for a donation made by his estate.[21] [22] However, the publication was only temporarily saved, and closed in 2021.[23] Plans were made for the Salford Star to be archived by the British Library and the Working Class Movement Library.

Notes and References

  1. News: Salford Star back in print after seven years - Journalism News from HoldtheFrontPage . 4 May 2024 . HoldtheFrontPage . 26 May 2015.
  2. Web site: Future for local and regional media Fourth Report of Session 2009–10 . parliament.uk . House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee . 4 May 2024.
  3. Web site: West Leeds Dispatch community newspaper wins £112,000 Lottery 3-year support grant . Civic Revival . 4 May 2024 . en . 22 June 2021.
  4. News: Stop press: The tale of a fallen 'Star' . 4 May 2024 . . 20 April 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090424031927/http://www.independent.co.uk:80/news/media/press/stop-press-the-tale-of-a-fallen-star-1671288.html . 2009-04-24.
  5. Web site: Ponsford . Dominic . Community-run Salford Star relaunches in print three months after closure of town's weekly newspaper . Press Gazette . 4 May 2024 . 26 May 2015.
  6. News: SALFORD STAR CLOSES AFTER 15 YEARS WITH ATTITUDE AND LOVE XXX - Salford Star - with attitude & love xxx . 4 May 2024 . www.salfordstar.com . 17 May 2021.
  7. News: Conn . David . 15 November 2006 . Local ragging . 4 May 2024 . The Guardian.
  8. Kingston . Stephen . December 2006 . Voices of the people: Community journalism . . 17 . 4 . 58–64 . 10.1177/0956474806074953.
  9. Web site: Stephen Kingston The Guardian . 4 May 2024 . www.theguardian.com . . en.
  10. Web site: Bunke . Christian . Murdochs Medienimperium wankt . Telepolis . 4 May 2024 . de . 23 July 2011.
  11. Web site: John Cooper Clarke On Life In Higher Broughton. - Salford Star - with attitude & love xxx . www.salfordstar.com . Salford Star . 4 May 2024.
  12. Sunday Afternoon at the Lowry... . Salford Star . Spring 2006 . 1 . 16–17 . en.
  13. The Guardian also published the story with audio recordings taken during the event: News: Sunday afternoon at the Lowry: slideshow with audio . 4 May 2024 . The Guardian.
  14. Web site: Salford's Tree of Knowledge saved . news.bbc.co.uk . . 4 May 2024 . 20 August 2009.
  15. Web site: SALFORD STAR MARY BURNS AWARD WINNERS 2009 . www.salfordstar.com . 4 May 2024 . 15 January 2010.
  16. Web site: The Paul Foot Award For Campaigning Journalism2007 Short List . . 4 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071025150130/http://www.private-eye.co.uk/pictures/paul_foot/2007_PF_Shortlist.pdf . 2007-10-25.
  17. Web site: Press Gazette - National and regional journalists share Paul Foot Award . web.archive.org . 4 May 2024 . 12 November 2007.
  18. Web site: Plain English Campaign Awards 2008. 9 December 2008 . . 4 May 2024.
  19. Web site: Oliver . Laura . Independent.co.uk: Why the award-winning Salford Star went online-only . Editors Blog Journalism.co.uk . 4 May 2024 . 20 April 2009.
  20. Web site: SALFORD STAR SAVED AS £3,000 RAISED BY THE COMMUNITY - Salford Star - with attitude & love xxx . www.salfordstar.com . Salford Star . 4 May 2024.
  21. Web site: Linford . Paul . Hyperlocal title lives on after community raises £3,000 in 10 days . HoldtheFrontPage . 4 May 2024.
  22. Web site: SALFORD RELICS UP FOR SALE TO SAVE THE STAR - Salford Star - with attitude & love xxx . www.salfordstar.com . Salford Star . 4 May 2024.
  23. News: Harrison . Simone . Celebrities pay tribute to 'Salford Star' editor after website closure . 4 May 2024 . Salford Now . 19 May 2021.