By Isle of Wight Observer
Have you ever wondered how the IW Observer is produced? What time do we go to press to get the newspaper out on Friday mornings? How can you get your news on our pages?
Islanders will have their chance to ask these questions and more to both the IW Observer and the Island Echo teams, and learn about how news is produced on the Island at a special event in Newport next month.
The informal afternoon session on Friday, June 13, will run from 3.30pm until 5pm at the Riverside Centre. It will be a unique opportunity to meet local editors and journalists, ask questions, and explore how stories come to life in the world of independent news on the Isle of Wight.
Readers will be able to connect with the editorial and production teams, raise concerns about local issues, and gain insight into how the news is gathered, verified and published each day. The session will include a Q&A segment, giving attendees the chance to go deeper into the process of independent journalism.
This free event – which will of course feature tea and cake – is part of Indie News Week 2025, organised by the Public Interest News Foundation, which champions the importance of independently owned local media at a time of significant change within the news industry.
Afterwards, the two organisations will be hosting The State of the Island debate to a sold-out audience of 200. All tickets were snapped up last weekend after the event was announced on Friday, but any returned tickets will be made available via a waiting list and there may be some last-minute tickets available on the door.
Editor of the IW Observer, Carole Dennett, said: “Although IW Observer and Island Echo are very different publications, we are both locally-owned and independent businesses. We are also both free for our readers, as we are funded by advertising from local businesses – so the health of our local economy is not only important to us, it is vital to our success.”
Spaces are limited and pre-registration is required. To reserve your free space, go to iw.observer/behind-the-headlines.
To join the waiting list for the State of the Island debate, which will be similar in format to BBC’s ‘Question Time’, go to iw.observer/state-of-the-island.
Those without access to the internet can also call us on 01983 221050 about either event.
Limited parking is available on site at the Riverside Centre for both events, with additional council parking available at Newport Quay and Sea Street.
