TODAY is national Trusted News Day. Here at The Northern Echo we would argue that every day is Trusted News Day, but it does no harm to remind people how hard we work to separate fact from fiction on a daily basis.

At a time when misinformation and unsubstantiated facts and stories can be published to huge audiences via social media, The Northern Echo and our sister titles have a long and proud history of bringing you well researched and accurate journalism.

The phrase “fake news” is all too often thrown at the media by anyone who disagrees with a particular fact. This is the most basic application of the “fake news” phenomenon. At its most sinister, global events are being infected by the suggestion that entirely fabricated information designed to deceive has been circulated indiscriminately via social media.

But unlike social media, this newspaper and its website are accountable for every single word we publish. We sign up to a comprehensive Editors’ Code of Practice and we and all our staff have contractually bound themselves to its requirements. This code encompasses everything from accuracy to privacy, harassment, intrusion into grief or shock, protecting children and reporting crime. It is explicit in the sensitivity we show in protecting the most vulnerable in society. On top of that, our journalists live in they patches they cover, and care passionately about their communities.

We thank you, our loyal readers, for your support, and hope you will help us in spreading the word that journalism truly matters.