Northern Echo editor Peter Barron has told a newspaper conference why he’s prepared to make the editorial/advertising relationship work.

Speaking at the Newspaper Society’s Home Truths conference, he explained why old rivalries were fading.

He said: “Editors shouldn’t dirty their hands with revenue opportunities should they? Well, yes they should.

“They have to. For me it is quite simple. It’s not about being a management crawler, it’s about retaining editorial quality.

“Because if journalists can help their advertising departments meet financial targets, then there is more chance of preserving the editorial resources we need to produce strong newspapers.”

He also described how a newspaper engages with its community, saying: “It’s like every business, it’s about the quality of relationships, reaching out to local communities, touching them, respecting them, knowing what they expect of you, building trust, asking for and valuing their opinions, and getting off your backside and not making the excuse that you haven’t got time to get out of the office.”

He was addressing a Newspaper Society event, held at the British Museum for local newspaper executives, advertisers and agencies, and chaired by media commentator Ray Snoddy.