THE regional press is the most trusted of all sources of news and information, research has shown.

This message, backed by the Daily Echo, follows the launch of the local press' initiative to fight fake news.

We've joined forces with local and regional titles across the UK as part of the Fighting Fake News campaign.

Advertising in local newspapers and their websites is not just good for your business - it is the socially responsible way to support your community and support British-based companies.

Daily Echo Editor Andy Martin said: "Firms that advertise regularly do not merely benefit from that engaged and responsive readership - they are fundamental to ensuring that everyone can afford a copy and that quality journalism remains an intrinsic and essential part.

"They also know that their advertising is helping to support UK tax-paying companies."

Without any advertising, many local newspapers are likely to cost up to three times as much as they currently do. That means a price of potentially several pounds per edition, depending on the number of pages and the size of the editorial operation.

Mr Martin said: "Advertising has always subsidised that figure - and price rises in recent years have been a direct result of some of that subsidy moving away, often to entirely unregulated social sites where there are no embedded checks against fake news nor professionally trained journalists."

The UK's local newspapers and websites are subject to some of the most robust regulation in the world.

They and all their editorial staff are bound by the Editor's Code of Practice, which sets out clear standards on everything from accuracy to respecting privacy and protecting children.

Their regulator is the Independent Press Standards Organisation which has wide-ranging powers from insisting on corrections to launching standards inquiries and ultimately imposing fines.

Lord Justice Leveson, in his inquiry into the press, praised local and regional titles. His report said: "It is clear to me that local, high-quality and trusted newspapers are good for our communities, our identity and our democracy and play an important social role."

BLOB

If you're not sure that a snippet of local news you've seen on social media is fact or fake we can check it out.

Email us at newsdesk.bournemouthecho.co.uk with a screen grab of the item or all the details you have and our trained professionals will investigate.

The story needs to be local and it must be passing itself off as news - perhaps it is an alleged crime or a claim about a council decision.

We'll let you know the outcome of our investigation - and we will share the truth with our readers too.

Fake news – together we can fight it. And that’s a fact.