Last month, OnTheWight went on a tour of the Island to meet businesses and readers as part of the very first Indie News Week.
It was a really enjoyable and enlightening day, with lots of positive and constructive feedback coming our way. We enjoyed it so much, that we plan to run regular tours of the Island, and will give readers plenty of notice of where and when.
Overwhelmingly the feedback we received emphasised that readers’ trust OnTheWight’s journalism, the way we report the news and what news we cover.
Some of the feedback gathered during the day included:
“What you do is really important.”
“Having strong media is really important for democracy.”
“I really don’t like how other news outlets on the Island sensationalise news stories .”
“Sometimes I hesitate to put stuff out there in case it gets picked up and sensationalised by some of the other media outlets.”
“I don’t like adjectives used by other news outlets in headlines, to control the way you should be thinking.”
Story ideas and constructive feedback
Readers Jen and Tim, who we met at Medina Books in Cowes, even gave us several story ideas, one of which was promoting the convenience of postal voting – we followed this up very soon afterwards.
Several readers were particularly keen on our events listing site – which unfortunately is out of action at the moment, but something we are working on returning very soon.
Praise for in-depth articles and deep dives
OnTheWight’s in-depth articles were highlighted by many that we met as something readers appreciate, such as the recent comprehensive report on the issue of road closures in Ventnor, or help in understanding why coroners inquests were taking longer than usual to complete.
Our series of deep dives into a subject, like the hospitality crisis during Covid, or the ongoing costs of the Cowes Floating Bridge, were also raised as highlights.
A great way to connect with readers and businesses
All in all, the tour was a great way to connect with readers and businesses around the Island. We hope to repeat it soon.
Our thanks to Monkton Arts, Quay Arts, Medina Bookshop and West Wight Sports and Community Centre for hosting us.
