BBC News launches We Are Wrexham newsgathering project
February 25, 2020
We Are Wrexham is a week of dedicated news broadcasts across the BBC’s networks between March 30th and April 3rd, with the town at the centre of programmes and services.
The BBC is asking the people of the town to share the stories matter to them. A selection of those stories will then feature on TV, radio and online on national and BBC Wales outlets, as part of We Are Wrexham week.
UK and Welsh outlets will broadcast from Wrexham town centre throughout the week covering stories from the town – likely to involve outlets such as: BBC Breakfast, BBC News Channel, BBC Radio 5 live, BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, BBC Radio 1, BBC News at Six, BBC News at Ten as well as news services from BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio Wales. In addition, a pop-up BBC newsroom will be at the Tŷ Pawb arts centre and community hub in the centre of the town throughout We Are Wrexham week.
In the newsroom, BBC Wales TV and radio reporters will be on hand to listen to individuals who want to share their stories about the town, which could then be featured on air and online. There will also be an opportunity for people to have a go at experiencing future technologies in the BBC Blue Room.
We Are Bradford, We Are Middlesbrough and We Are Stoke-on Trent have already taken place with great success. The BBC says Wrexham is a natural ‘next stop’ where the week will put a spotlight on the many layers of lived experiences in the Wrexham borough – including the rich and long-standing history of the Polish Community, to the stories of the players in Britain’s most diverse football team, and the town’s place in the change in political mood across the UK.
Fran Unsworth, Director BBC News, said: “BBC News is delighted to be bringing our We Are… series to Wrexham. We really want to connect with our audience in the town and amplify the stories which matter to them. As part of this, we plan to run a number of audience panel events, and will also use social media as well as the BBC News website to encourage the public to help us identify things we should be covering.”
Garmon Rhys, BBC Wales’ Head of News and Current Affairs, added: “I am delighted that BBC Wales and BBC News are working together to bring this groundbreaking project to Wrexham. Our audiences are at the heart of everything we do and we’ll be asking people to tell us their stories in their own words. Our teams will work with the people of Wrexham to showcase those stories across all our output.”