The North in Numbers podcast

Michael Sheen appeared on The North in Numbers podcast to discuss the importance of local news during the pandemic, including:

• the role local journalism has in interpreting the information provided by central governments and helping people understand how guidance applies in their area
• the importance of having a solid, trusted local news provider in preventing the spread of misinformation and conspiracies
• the lack of support from government for independent local news providers
• how local news has affected national response to the pandemic, including how Michael tried to highlight the issue of lack of PPE in hospitals early on
• communities losing their local ‘social capital’ e.g. libraries, theatres, etc
• the A Writing Chance project.

Here's a snippet of @michaelsheen talking about news gaps, such as the one in his hometown of Port Talbot – which he warns has left these areas vulnerable to misinformation during the pandemic pic.twitter.com/y1TwOBLt2c

— Annie Gouk (@AnnieGouk) July 30, 2021

---