We can learn a lot from looking back but must always tread forward. This week we took a look back at some of the front pages of 2018.
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We’ve chosen a select few to feature in a special poster within the printed edition and you can view the selection in a gallery if you are reading this online. Honestly, there were so many others we could have chosen too.
It’s by no means a selection of “the best” but more a selection highlighting some of the significant moments the region and our newsroom had across 2018.
Taking a look back through the front pages it was easy to see the pride our newsroom takes in reporting the news news that matters to our community.
The Illawarra Mercury has long forged a reputation as being a torchbearer for this region and that’s something that we will continue to do as a priority in the coming year.
The year 2018 saw some significant campaigns launched by the masthead. The State of Neglect campaign earned national recognition and shone a light on the lack of sentencing options around serious cases of child neglect in this state. The Care to QPR and The Silent Treatment campaigns were significant for both the region and our masthead.
There were front pages which would break some of the most significant stories in the region over the past 12 months like the Dapto jail proposal or the eventual collapse of regional airline JetGo.
Some front pages recognised moments in history. The UK Super League clash in February for example or the first legal same-sex marriages.
There were front page which recognised or supported an event in the region. The front page featuring a design by local indigenous artist Lani Balzan in July was actually championed by one of our digital specialists Tareyn Varley and is a personal favourite.
Another was the Comic Gong front page which was actually designed using an image taken of Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery perched 10 floors up and on the side of the council building.
As much as we enjoyed looking back at 2018, we look forward to bringing you a new suite of stories of importance for the region in 2019.
Next week we will bring you the year in back pages.
Julian O’Brien is the editor of the Illawarra Mercury.