Local Democracy Reporting Service
Providing coverage of local politics for media across Devon
The Local Democracy Reporting Service is a scheme run by independent media organisations across the UK and funded by the BBC. Radio Exe operates the service in Devon, reporting on local councils and other publicly funded democratic organisations in the county, such as the police, health and fire services. Three local democracy reporters cover the county, supplying content to more than 40 Devon media outlets, embracing local newspapers, news websites and radio stations.
Publishing our local democracy stories
If you operate a news website, newspaper or broadcast service in Devon, you may be eligible to use content provided by Radio Exe’s reporters. The BBC Local Democracy Reporting Service has more details of who can become a partner and how to apply. Partners get to use content from our local democracy reporters free of charge, subject to certain conditions such as crediting the reporter and the local democracy reporting service.
Devoncast
Devoncast is Radio Exe’s weekly news podcast, focused on local politics, community news and reviews. It can be downloaded free from most leading podcast providers, or streamed on through the Radio Exe app. It is a core programme on Devoncast Radio, which is available on DAB digital radio across much of the south of the county, and can also be streamed through the Radio Exe app or at www.devoncastradio.co.uk
Other Radio Exe news
We broadcast local news, including content from our local democracy reporters, every day. We produce lots more Devon news on our website and social media channels too. If you have a story you would like us to consider, please email news@radioexe.co.uk We can’t promise to reply or use your story, and we publish content in good faith. By sending us material, you are agreeing to its publication and that you are extending the intellectual property rights to Radio Exe to reproduce content, including photographs. We always endeavour to properly credit rights owners, but please let us know if the credit is not correct. We are not usually able to insert links to other websites.
Guy Henderson - Local Democracy Reporter
Guy is a local democracy reporter working for Radio Exe. He covers Exeter City Council, Torbay Council and is an avid fan of Torquay United. He hosts the Torquay United Yellow Army Podcast, which can be heard on our sister station Devoncast Radio.
Bradley Gerrard - Local Democracy Reporter
Bradley is a Local Democracy Reporter at Radio Exe and covers stories linked to three major Devon councils; Devon County Council, East Devon District Council and Mid Devon District Council.
He has more than 15 years’ experience in journalism, including local, trade and national press, as well as most recently being a freelance journalist.
After beginning his journalism career at Exeter’s Express and Echo in 2007, he spent nearly a decade in financial journalism, including as a Senior Business Reporter at The Daily Telegraph covering the UK’s largest transport and leisure firms, and at two Financial Times publications – Investors’ Chronicle and Investment Adviser.
Bradley has a Postgraduate Diploma in Newspaper Journalism from Cardiff University.
Alison Stephenson - Local Democracy Reporter
Alison joined Radio Exe as a local democracy reporter in 2023. Prior to that she was editor of the Tavistock Times Newspapers series and South Hams Newspapers and spent the majority of her career working for Tindle Newspapers as a community reporter and editor.
Paul Nero - Managing Editor
Paul oversees the Local Democracy Reporting Service at Radio Exe. He is the managing director of Radio Exe, one of the few locally owned commercial radio stations in the UK, as well as a writer and broadcaster. After a period in London advertising agencies, Paul worked for media organisations including the BBC, the Financial Times and former ITV company TSW, before starting a copywriting agency producing content for financial services and technology brands. He is the author of five books and a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta).
Brad Hardware - Broadcast Journalist
Brad provides technical, administrative and research support to the Radio Exe team is regularly part of the station's news output. As well as his work for the station, he's studying an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in journalism.
