STORIES about jobs being created in the region seldom fail to catch our eye when we are planning what to put online and in the next day’s paper.

Contrary to what some people might think we are not interested only in grim news, personal tragedies and crime – although the reaction we get to these types of stories suggests readers like them a great deal.

Good news sells too. When the news is really good, such as when the numbers of new jobs being created is in the hundreds, then the story becomes a contender for the front page.

Today’s exclusive about BT planning to create hundreds of new roles next year, about 250 at its EE centre in Darlington, is the kind of good news to make you sit up and take notice.

It comes a day after The Gazette’s front page was emblazoned with a picture of Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen below the headline ‘830 jobs’. On closer inspection the story about employment opportunities coming to the Boho digital and creative sites contained the crucial word “could”. Crucially, no mention was made of how long it might take for those 830 jobs to come to the region.

Similarly, it will be great to see that EE does indeed recruit hundreds of North-East staff but call centres have a habit of making a big song and dance about taking people on and stay tight-lipped when they lay staff off as demand eases.

BT and Boho are examples of stories that newspapers, in a bid to bring some cheery news to readers, reach for as easy good news tales. Our longer term responsibility as reporters is to hold to account the people who made these bold predictions. Job creation stories can only be regarded as genuine good news when “could” and “might” turn into “has”.