After 15 years, numerous awards, ten print issues and over 6,000 online articles, the Salford Star is to close after the local elections in May.
The Star, which we believe to be England's longest running community centred media outlet, brought out its first issue in May 2006, giving a voice to residents caught up in the midst of regeneration, fighting the demolition of their homes.
This was the time when most Salfordians did not have access to the internet, and before the mass birth of smart phones, Facebook and Twitter.
In 2009 the Star went online only and has since produced articles covering everything that has happened in the city, from the Boxing Day Flood of 2015, to the riots of 2011, to the Barton Moss anti-fracking protests, planning scandals, peat destruction, MPs' expenses, trade union actions, community campaigns, cladding catastrophes, dodgy developers, Media City and, for the last year, daily pandemic updates...
...The Star has also covered the amazing cultural happenings in the city, with many artists, writers, bands, poets, singers, sports people and more getting their first public exposure.
The Salford Star introduced its first birthday print edition in 2007..."76 action packed, people powered, passion zapped pages of marauding voices from the clued up community and its culture kids...The Salford Star was born from a mad idea on the back of a fag packet. Over a year later we're still here slowly growing and glowing with the support of the community...." Nobody expected the Star to still be running all these years later...
"We would like to thank the zillions of people who have helped to sustain the Salford Star over what have been some incredibly difficult times" says Salford Star co-founder and editor Stephen Kingston "Those who have given us financial support, those brave people who have spoken out on our pages, those who have contributed with their writing, photos and techie expertise, and those who have supported us in the face of authorities that have tried their best to discredit us..."
The Salford Star website is to be archived by the British Library and publicly available, while the site will also be live and available on search engines for at least ten years. It will be a real time document of everything that has happened in the city...
Meanwhile, during the next month the Salford Star will be celebrating its output and achievements over the last 15 years, beginning with The Star Is Born, looking at how and why the Star came to Salford and its initial impact...
See related articles on the Salford Star Closure...
The Star Is Born click here
Alice's Story: Injustice From South Africa to Salford click here
Salford Stars Part 1 click here
Salford Stars Part 2 click here
Real Salford Heritage - Inside The Cliff Man United Training Ground - click here
The Battle of Barton Moss click here
Nigel Pivaro Looks Back Over 15 Years of the Star click here
Planning Scandals and the Affordable Housing Crisis - click here
Campaigns, demos and protests click here
Guy Griffiths on the Pathfinder Demolitions - click here
What's Left and What's Worth Saving in Salford - click here
Eight Happenings That Encapsulate Salford: Part 1 click here
Eight Happenings That Encapsulate Salford: Part 2 click here
Guy Griffiths on the Pathfinder Demolitions Part 2 The Human Cost - click here
How Salford City Council Tried To Stop The Star - click here
How Salford City Council Tried to Block and Discredit The Star click here
The Salford Star Closes After 15 Years of Attitude and Love xxx - click here
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