'Fake' journalist jibe was a low blow but l can assure you I am the 'real deal' '/ Sue Plunkett column

I have been a journalist for 36 years.
Reporter Sue Plunkett confesses that an accusation of being a 'fake journalist' was very hurtfulReporter Sue Plunkett confesses that an accusation of being a 'fake journalist' was very hurtful
Reporter Sue Plunkett confesses that an accusation of being a 'fake journalist' was very hurtful

I have interviewed everyone from Prime Ministers and MPs to the man in the street with a funny, heart-breaking or heart-warming story to tell. And every time I have strived to tell their stories honestly and fairly.

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The training was tough to enter this profession in 1986. I had to pass a series of exams that tested my knowledge of the law, newspaper practice, government and politics and perhaps the toughest test of all... learning shorthand!

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My basic training as a cub reporter was exciting, challenging and demanding but I never once regretted the choice I had made; my heart has always been with this job and it always will be.

I've got used to criticism over the years, it comes with the territory. Journalists are an easy target, always have been and usually get blamed for every wrong in the world. Ok, maybe that is a slight exaggeration. But the media is often targeted for pushing an agenda or trying to influence public opinion.

But to be called a 'fake journalist' was something that hurt me, both professionally and personally.

I have never reported 'fake' news in my entire career or ever written a false story. Granted, a lot of the information we receive is taken in good faith and run in that same good faith. But if there is any doubt thrown on the facts we don't run the story.

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My career has been spent working for two local newspapers, the Accrington Observer, where I spent 12 years and this newspaper, the Burnley Express, where I have now worked for 20 years.

I was born in Burnley and have lived here all my life. I care about the town and the people who live here and I feel honoured that my job allows me to be a voice for them.

Yes the way we report news has changed drastically over the years with the advent of the digital era and we have had to move with the times, like every other other major organisation. The way we report news has changed, and the type of news that readers want has also changed; the statistics tell us that daily, whatever your opinion.

The 'fake' jibe was aimed at myself and my Burnley Express colleagues who are equally as passionate about their work.

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The editor, John Deehan, has lived here all his life, apart from three years spent at university studying journalism. He came to the Express as a junior reporter 17 years ago.

Our new recruit, Laura Longworth, has returned to the Burnley Express after a spell working for our sister paper, the Lancashire Post. She is also a Burnley lass, coming back to her roots to continue doing the job she loves.

And reporter Dominic Collis has worked for the paper for almost 20 years.

We don't have a 'hidden agenda' or support one political party, and we don't pay people for their stories either.

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There, I've said it for those who often accuse of those things. This is a job, like any other, but far from being a nine to five grind, it is exciting, challenging and interesting. And, if any of us were indeed 'fake 'we would soon be discovered, no doubt, by our biggest fans who are also our biggest critics... you, our readers.

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