TODAY marks the start of the Journalism Matters campaign week, to raise awareness of the importance of local newspapers such as the Worcester News – and there are two stories we've published today which are examples of how we make a positive impact in the community.

It's no great secret that fewer and fewer people are buying newspapers but, despite that decline in sales, the Worcester News now reaches more people than ever before, due to our website, Facebook page and Twitter account. Research shows that around 90 per cent of the adult population in the city sees our stories.

We are fortunate to be able to reach so many people, and we believe we have a duty to use that power to support good causes.

Today we have reported the latest on five-year-old Oscar Saxelby-Lee who is awaiting a stem cell transplant in his fight against leukaemia. Donors were found after the Worcester News reported on Oscar's cancer battle and his family and school's appeal for people to take a swab test to see if they were a match. Our coverage helped to inspire 5,000 people to attend testing days at Pitmaston Primary, and a picture of people queuing to be swabbed – taken by a Worcester News journalist – went viral, with the media across the world picking up on the story and, as a result, even more people taking the donor test.

Today's front page story also seeks to help change a child's life. We're highlighting the plea for donations so that four-year-old Elaina Evans, who has brain damage, can get the equipment she needs to communicate.

Where else could her parents reach so many people in Worcester with their appeal than their local newspaper?

For more on Journalism Matters, see

journalismmatters.co/home