I had a meeting this week with a group of people who were looking into the attitudes and images the media presents about the Bradford District.

It was, as they say, a full and frank discussion during which I expressed my personal views and the views of this newspaper.

The most direct question I was asked was how I saw the role of this newspaper in presenting positive images.

I explained that it is my belief that it is the duty of a local newspaper to become involved in issues even if they may be seen as negative. It is our job to report and

present information in line with our policy.

On top of that, if necessary we should take a lead as we have done recently in the case of the demands for a change in the law on identity parades and the call for a town/parish council.

I think we do pretty well representing Keighley on that score. Look at it through the cynic's eyes. The more Keighley prospers, the more the newspaper does too.

A few hours after the meeting I was talking with someone who had come to the Keighley News with a problem they were having.

The person said they had exhausted all the avenues they could think of to bring the matter to a satisfactory conclusion. In the end they had decided to come to the KN, believing that we would be able to do something to

correct what they saw as an injustice. As long as people have that attitude and believe we can help then it

confirms we are getting it right - most of the time.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.