We stand by our reporting, regardless of Facebook slugs might think

Last week, Cambrian News published a detailed series of stories about Ceredigion County Council and its acquisition, staffing and running of Llettytwppa Farm.

Our reporting was based on three months' work, asking questions, filing Freedom of Information requests, talking to sources, ferreting out details and piecing together what went on.

At the time of writing this, the fallout is still underway.

It is not the role of this publication to report our findings to the Welsh Government, auditors, regulators or indeed police. That is up to others who feel aggrieved.

But it is our role to report on Local Government and to shine a light where those in authority, for their vested or other reasons, misuse or abuse their positions or power for personal or other gain.

As Editor, our reportage is what any newspaper or news outlet worth its salt should be doing.

It's been interesting to see the usual suspects or those with vested interests and personal ties use social media to try and tarnish our investigation.

And as Editor, it's my responsibility to ensure that our reporting is factual and legally sound.

For those Facebook knee-jerk commentators, there is no such responsibility: They post without fear of legal consequence and the truth bedamned. They are blissful in their ignorance, boastful in their arrogance; endless in their comments.

Whether you like what we report or not, it is our duty to question, hold those in power to account, and to use our professional judgement - and the trust readers place in us - to act as a check and balance on authority.

There were moans that our report and commentary was placed behind a paywall under our new digital subscription model. Yes, that was done on purpose - just as the stories were produced in print in our weekly Cambrian News edition. You have to pay for that at the corner shop, so why expect our hard work to be available for free online?

Over the past two decades, social media platforms have allowed anyone with a phone or computer to post content with little oversight online. News organisations around the world have been slow to effectively respond to this unregulated environment.

Those news organisations have also largely failed in their responsibilities to question and hold those in power to account. There are too many news outlets that consider Ryanair carry-on luggage regulations, or the latest diet fads using turmeric or olive oil to be news. Such clickbait drivel is sadly ubiquitous.

Too many of the keyboard warriors who revel in the mire of social media wouldn't know proper reporting if it hit them in their USB hole.

There is no body that oversees the comments made on Facebook or effectively holds those posting trash to account.

All professional journalists working at credible news outlets are regulated by IPSO, the Independent Press Standards Organisation.

There is a code of standards we must adhere to as we go about our work - things we can and cannot do. And that is above the tenets too of Libel and Defamation legislation.

We regularly publish the outcomes of IPSO complaints as a matter of transparency - we have a responsibility to you to demonstrate that our work is professional, regulated and monitored. Anyone can complain to IPSO about our work or reporting. As Editor, I challenge those who hide behind Facebook and criticise us, to do it through a formal complaint. It costs nothing and merely required you to fill out an online complaint form on the organisations website.

So, are you just mouthing off because you can? Or do you actually have a genuine complaint? Put up or shut up.

In the meantime, we'll continue to go about our reporting ion a professional manner, punching above our weight, taking on the powers that be, and putting the people of mid and west Wales first.

Boy, I can predict the comments on Facebook on this piece already. There it's just noise. If you genuinely think we're off the mark, make an official complaint to IPSO... I dare you!

But we at Cambrian News are going to keep on what we're doing. We owe it to our audience and readers to do so.