Saving the local news media: what Matt Hancock's review needs to know

Local news must be seen as a public good rather than as a profitable commodity, argues Julie Firmstone. It is this idea that must guide the new government review of UK press sustainability, so that the focus is on rethinking the conditions needed to produce local news rather than merely on the profitability of the sector

Public Engagement & Cultures of Expertise Scoping Report

This scoping project investigated public, civic and cultural engagement using Leeds as a case study for a wider snapshot of British culture and practices. The scope is broken into three sections. The first looks at formal modes of engagement such as consultation and the power relations of institutions and their publics. The second investigates data itself and the claims made on behalf of digital content in the name of engagement. The third investigates everyday practices of engagement from the perspective of community groups. What is engagement in a digital environment and what does it look like? What new modes and practices of engagement are emerging, and what kinds of cultural products result? What are the implications of these new forms of engagement and new cultural products for communities and cultures

Public engagement in local government: the voice and influence of citizens in online communicative spaces

The communications and engagement strategies of local councils play an important role in contributing to the public's understanding of local democracies, and their engagement with local issues. Based on a study of the local authority in the third largest city in the UK, Leeds, this article presents an empirically based analysis of the impact of new opportunities for public engagement afforded by digital media on the Council's communication with citizens. Drawing on over 20 face-to-face semi-structured interviews with elected politicians, Council strategists, Council communications specialists, mainstream journalists, and citizen journalists, the article explores perceptions of the Council's engagement and communication with citizens from the perspective of a range of actors involved in the engagement process. The research asks what the differing motivations behind the Council's communications and engagement strategies mean for the way that digital media are and might be used in the future to enhance the role of citizens in local governance. The research suggests that while there are no grounds for expecting digital media to displace existing channels of public engagement, digital media are beginning to play an important role in defining and reconfiguring the role of citizens within local governance

The changing role of the local news media in enabling citizens to engage in local democracies

Using Leeds City Council in the United Kingdom as a case study, we analyse comparatively the changing role of local journalism in the public communications and engagement strategies of local government. Drawing on over 20 semi-structured interviews with elected politicians, Council strategists, mainstream journalists, and citizen journalists, the article explores perceptions of the mainstream news media's role versus new modes of communication in engaging and communicating with citizens. We evaluate the Council's perceptions of its online and offline practices of engagement with different publics, and focus in particular on their interactions with journalists, the news media, and citizen journalists. The article considers how moves towards digital modes of engagement are changing perceptions of the professional role orientations of journalists in mediating between the Council and the general public

The editorial production process and editorial values as influences on the opinions of the British press towards Europe

British newspapers have been criticised for their coverage of the European Union and accused of contributing to the strength of anti-European opinion in the United Kingdom. Despite these claims, research by media sociologists and political communications scholars has commonly focused on news reporting, overlooking editorial opinions on European issues. This article addresses this gap by presenting a sociological analysis of editorial journalism in relation to European integration at 10 British national newspapers. The findings show that newspapers vary widely in the resources and roles they have assigned for editorialising on Europe, and provide an original insight into the common routines employed for producing editorial opinion. A model, entitled the editorial production process, is developed to illustrate the key stages of this routine. The specialist practices of editorial journalism are discussed through the identification of a set of editorial values used to select issues for comment

Evidence-Based Pain Management Bundle for Pediatric Postoperative Orthopedic Patients

Problem: Postoperative pain management in pediatric orthopedic patients is often inconsistent due to variability in provider practices and a lack of standardized protocols. At a Central Texas pediatric orthopedic clinic, all patients received opioid prescriptions post-knee surgery regardless of procedure severity, leading to frequent caregiver calls for clarification. This practice revealed a critical gap in preoperative education and multimodal pain management strategies, contributing to patient safety concerns and increased clinic workload. Aim of the Project: The primary aim of the project was to improve pain control, reduce opioid reliance, and decrease postoperative pain-related follow-up calls by implementing a standardized, evidence-based multimodal pain management bundle. Review of the Evidence: A comprehensive literature review showed that multimodal strategies, combining non-opioid medications and non-pharmacologic methods, significantly improve pain outcomes and reduce opioid use. Preoperative education was identified as essential for enhancing caregiver understanding and reducing postoperative confusion. Project Design: The quality improvement project utilized the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles and the OhioHealth Change Management Model to guide structured testing, stakeholder engagement, and change readiness throughout the 12-week implementation. The lead APRN provided standardized preoperative education using evidence-based materials. The orthopedic surgeon aligned prescribing practices with the project. Key stakeholders included the APRN, surgeon, nurses, and administrative staff. Intervention: An evidence-based pain management bundle adapted from Michigan Medicine’s pediatric protocols was implemented. Staff education, bilingual materials, non-opioid strategies, and a standardized checklist were included. The bundle was applied to pediatric patients ages 5 to 18 undergoing knee surgery. Data were collected from the electronic health records, and a secure Excel tracking tool was utilized. Significant Findings/Outcomes: Postoperative pain scores averaged 3.55 on a 10-point scale, with no opioid refill requests. The average duration of opioid use decreased from 7 days to 3.04 days. Preoperative education was completed for all patients, yielding 100% compliance. Although 38.5% of caregivers made follow-up calls, these were unrelated to pain management, suggesting the intervention effectively supported families. No adverse outcomes were reported. Implications for Nursing: This project demonstrates the role of advanced practice nurses in leading evidence-based improvements that enhance patient safety, standardize care, and support opioid stewardship. Alignment with the Institute of Medicine’s domains of effective, patient-centered, and timely care supports the Institute for Healthcare Improvement\u27s Triple Aim by the bundle’s seamless integration into the clinic’s workflow and onboarding

Engaging the Public in regulating for ethical journalism. Part Two: Focus Groups

This report details the second part of a pilot project aimed at examining the public's perception and understanding of journalism and its regulation in the UK. The ‘Engaging the public in regulating for ethical journalism’ study seeks to understand how journalism might better meet public expectations and the role of regulators in this dynamic

Engaging the public in regulating for ethical journalism. Part One: Survey Data

These survey materials and data were generated as part of a pilot project aimed at examining public perceptions and understanding of journalism and its regulation in the UK. The ‘Engaging the public in regulating for ethical journalism’ study seeks to understand how journalism might better meet public expectations and the role of regulators in this dynamic