Today (June 26) sees the official launch of a new free-to-view video news service which will search out the stories other media are missing and provide the real facts behind the headlines.
Produced by pioneering local news website Cornwall Reports, the new weekly ‘Behind the Headlines’ video service will provide in depth coverage of key stories and exclusive interviews with the people involved.
Published every Friday afternoon at 6pm, viewers will be able to watch the videos direct from the Cornwall Reports website and social media. The programme will thereafter be available to view on YouTube and can be shared.
Launched in October 2016, Cornwall Reports is the only local news website in Britain which publishes without any advertising at all on its news pages, relying exclusively on its subscribers for its income. With a reputation for providing hard-hitting and in-depth reporting, editor Graham Smith has been leading coverage of the spread of coronavirus in the county, carrying out extensive investigations and publishing a number of exclusive stories about how the response has been managed by local decision makers.
The first edition of Behind the Headlines includes a detailed look at what’s happening inside Cornwall’s care homes and asks questions about growing fears for the future of Cornwall’s democracy.
“Most people will have seen the worrying headlines about the impact of Covid-19 in care homes,” said Behind the Headlines editor and presenter Graham Smith. “With the Government announcing a relaxation of lockdown restrictions, an inevitable invasion of tourists into Cornwall next month and local health chiefs predicting a second wave of the virus in October, I wanted to look in detail at what is happening inside our care homes.
“With hitherto unpublished information and interviews with the key players, we highlight the very real challenges facing care home owners and the actions being taken to protect residents, staff and the local community.”
Smith will also be examining the potential sidelining of elected councillors in making decisions which affect the daily lives of more than half a million people in Cornwall.
“The suspension of Cornwall Council meetings for almost three months may not seem very important during this national crisis – but it has actually allowed officers to make some major decisions without the involvement of elected councillors and without the scrutiny of members of the public,” Smith claimed.
“Many of these decisions will have a significant impact on our lives and we need to ensure that the people we elect to represent us have the opportunity to have their say.”
As well as providing in depth coverage of two original news stories each week, Behind the Headlines will also include a roundup of the other stories investigated by Cornwall Reports during the past seven days.
Once published at 6pm on Friday afternoon, the latest video, together with previous editions, will remain available to view free of charge on the Cornwall Reports website – www.cornwallreports.co.uk.
