More than 100 people attended a rally in Bristol as part of the National Union of Journalists' Journalism Matters campaign.

The meeting was chaired by Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy, and key speakers included general secretary Jeremy Dear and Stroud MP David Drew, who is a member of the NUJ's Parliamentary Group.

A number of other trade unionists and politicians also attended.

The NUJ says its national campaign aims to protect quality journalism and its vital role in democracy, and to reverse cutbacks across the industry and ensure proper investment.

Jeremy Dear told the meeting that huge profits were being made by newspaper companies at the expense of quality news, job losses and falling sales.

He said: "The bean counters have taken over, but this is a false economy. Our minimum demand is that they invest in news because the need for quality journalism is constant."

David Drew added: "These cuts are not about providing news for a community; they’re an asset-stripping, profit-grabbing attempt to destabilise our democracy."

The meeting started with a ten-minute film about journalism made by students from the University of the West of England, featuring vox-pops of people in Bristol giving their views on local and national journalism and why they see it as important.