WITH businesses across the country facing a tough time of late after the coronavirus pandemic changing the landscape dramatically, newspapers have not been immune to this.

With fewer events, advertising revenue across the industry is falling.

However, there are ways you can help. Simply buying a paper or taking out a digital subscription (for just £1 a week) can make the world of difference to local papers.

Here are seven reasons why you need your local paper:

1. By local people, for local people

At the Basingstoke Gazette and Andover Advertiser, we are local people who live on patch that truly care about the area.

Our Gazette office is based in Houndmills and the Advertiser office in the heart of Andover town centre, meaning we're right at the centre of the patch.

Whilst of late, we've all had to work from home, your weekly paper and 24/7 news coverage online is coming from the dining room tables and spare rooms of our editorial team across Basingstoke, Andover and North Hampshire. And our advertising team are also working remotely, able to help you with all your advertising needs from their own homes too.

Basingstoke Gazette: The Gazette and Advertiser team (Clockwise from top left: Elliott Binks, Bethany Papworth, Ryan Evans and Katie French).The Gazette and Advertiser team (Clockwise from top left: Elliott Binks, Bethany Papworth, Ryan Evans and Katie French).

2. Campaigns people care about

At the Gazette and Advertiser, we're not afraid to get stuck in.

This year already, we've had a big success on our campaign to stop Wheelabrator building an incinerator at Barton Stacey, and our campaign to keep Basingstoke Town FC at the Camrose or see a like-for-like stadium built has resulted in the borough council objecting to the county council's plan to build a road through the site.

Basingstoke Gazette:

We've also campaigned to save our libraries, after Hampshire County Council announced a massive cut in funding that could see three libraries on patch - Chineham, South Ham and Odiham - shut, and others - including Andover, Basingstoke Discovery Centre and Tadley - have their hours slashed. A decision is expected on that in the summer.

These successes would not have come about if there was no local newspaper to champion them.

3. Reporting the courts and keeping councils in check

Did you know that in the Basingstoke area, the Gazette is the only publication to report from court and at council meetings?

Whether you enjoy reading our weekly 'In The Courts' report or have been affected by some of the issues going on at council HQ, this wouldn't get reported if it wasn't for a local newspaper.

Basingstoke Gazette: Basingstoke Magistrates' Court, where cases from Basingstoke and Andover are heard (Photo: Sean Dillow)Basingstoke Magistrates' Court, where cases from Basingstoke and Andover are heard (Photo: Sean Dillow)

This includes the ongoing bin collection saga - from our first report last year on the change of contracts to the coverage of the teething issues as Serco changed up the rounds, to the Covid-affected reduction to a fortnightly waste collection.

And in Andover, the Advertiser has brought you all the latest developments from both Andover Town Council and Test Valley Borough Council.

The issues that go on at council level affect us all, and whilst it may not be the most glamorous of stories, they are important, and we will continue to bring them to you.

4. Trusted local news

At the Gazette and Advertiser, we pride ourselves in providing you, our readers, with local news you can trust. We make sure everything we print is 100% true.

At a time when you don't know who to trust, our small but mighty team are working around the clock to bring you news that is fact, not rumour.

This included at last December's general election, where the Gazette brought you its very own hustings for the seat of Basingstoke. All five candidates were at the Apollo Hotel, where they could make their pitch to you on why they should get your vote.

And on election night itself, our reporters were at all three counts in North Hampshire, getting the latest lines from the candidates and breaking the result first. Editor Katie French quarterbacked the operation, bringing you live updates from Hampshire and the whole country in our blog and on social media.

Basingstoke Gazette: Photo: Sean DillowPhoto: Sean Dillow

Whilst this year's local elections may have been postponed, you can be sure that when they take place in May 2021, we'll have all the stories as they happen.

5. Championing local people

We love to support a local cause or person. This has been redoubled in recent times, as we tell you about the people across Basingstoke and Andover doing their bit in the global battle against coronavirus.

In last week's Gazette, we brought you the story of Aime Collins, a businesswoman and mother-of-three who, amidst the business turmoil, has turned her hand to making 'I love NHS' signs for people's cars, with all profits going to the health service. We also have a double page celebrations spread in every issue, telling you about the great things the people of Basingstoke are doing.

Basingstoke Gazette: The celebrations page in the Basingstoke Gazette, on April 30The celebrations page in the Basingstoke Gazette, on April 30

In last week's Advertiser, we brought you the story of Ange Takats, the Longparish-based musician who has been singing from her cottage to entertain people with concerts cancelled.

6. More than just Basingstoke and Andover

Did you know, that despite the names, we cover a much-wider circulation area than just Basingstoke and Andover?

In the Gazette, we cover Hook, Odiham and Hartley Wintney, and with it Hart District Council, whilst also stretching to Sherfield, Bramley, Silchester, Tadley, Baughurst, Aldermaston, Kingsclere, Whitchurch, Overton, Preston Candover, Dummer, Farleigh Wallop and Cliddesden.

In the Advertiser, we also cover Whitchurch and Overton, as well as Longparish, Hurstbourne Priors, St Mary Bourne, Hurstbourne Tarrant, Enham Alamein, Tangley, Weyhill, Thruxton, Grateley, Upper Clatford, Stockbridge, Barton Stacey and many other villages. We even dip into another county, with reporter Bethany Papworth covering the part-Wiltshire, part-Hampshire patch including Tidworth, Ludgershall, Shipton Bellinger and Amesbury.

7. On the front line with high-quality journalism

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, we've still been working around the clock to bring you the newspaper you love, whether that be the extremely popular puzzle section, or the more hard-hitting articles about some of the issues we are facing.

In March, a whistleblower told us all about the PPE issues at Basingstoke hospital, before it became a national issue, and was corroborated by other accounts and the chief executive of the Trust confirming a month later that there was a "tight" period around that time. The Trust has since rectified the problem.

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In last week, across both papers, we have looked at the numbers behind the virus, and whether we have passed the first peak. Our investigation put the 'peak date' at around April 13, something that government scientific advisors have since agreed with in the daily briefings.

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And last month, we reported how a nurse from Andover was interrogated for 40 minutes after being stopped by police whilst carrying out a welfare check on a friend. Hampshire Constabulary have since been forced to apologise.

At this difficult time, our pledge is to carry on providing high-quality, local journalism. But we need your support.

How you can support your local paper

You can subscribe for a digital subscription for Basingstoke here and for Andover here.

And to take out a Home Delivery Subscription, contact 0800 953 0227 (UK only) or email deliveries@newsquest.co.uk.