Sue Curtis' Best of 2008

News organiser for BBC Coventry and Warwickshire, Sue Curtis, names her favourite media of 2008.

Best old/traditional media: The Observer gets my vote. It's different from the rest, it follows its own agenda and often leads with a story which is then picked up by others. For me, it's the newspaper equivalent of Channel Four News, not afraid to go with a story which it believes to be important regardless of what other media are doing. It also delivers what you want from a lazy Sunday morning read.. good analysis, entertaining writers and the magazine sections such as the monthly Food mag are often stunning visually.

Best new media: Earlsdon Echo in Coventry. (And lots of other small community publications and websites which have sprung up this year.) It campaigns, it entertains and it helps community spirit.

Best story of the year: 'Jack - A Soldier's story'. BBC documentary by Ben Anderson. This was story-telling journalism at its very best. It was the story of 24 year old Jack, a British soldier fighting in Helmand Province and then returning home.

Prediction for 2009: More carnage within the local newspaper industry but the rise of more community websites and newspapers to fill the gap.


After Xmas: Ex-weekly newspaper editor and broadcaster Miles Barter, now NUJ campaigns officer, picks his Best of 2008.

Rest of the Best of, so far: Paul Linford, Adrian Monck , Grey Cardigan , Jean Morgan, Steve Busfield, Neil Fowler, Ian Reeves, Dominic Ponsford, Michael Crozier, Judith Townend and Laura Oliver, Patrick Smith, Ruth Addicott.