THE Western Telegraph has welcomed one of the first Facebook funded community reporters in the UK to its Haverfordwest newsroom.

Ruth Davies brings a wealth of experience to the Western Telegraph team and will focus on news from the rural communities of Pembrokeshire, particularly in the east of the county.

Ruth joined the team on March 25 and has spent the past few weeks getting to grips with the systems in operation within the newsroom and the requirements of the post.

Ruth is a well-known personality, particularly in the east of the county, and comes with a fantastic reputation as a reporter, having spent many years working as a freelance journalist from her home in Tenby.

Facebook is funding around 80 community reporters in the UK through a £4.5m charitable donation to the NCTJ to support a two-year Community News project with regional publishers which also aims to bring more diversity into newsrooms.

Ruth said: “I’m delighted to have taken on the role of community reporter and I am looking forward to making the most of the possibilities offered by Facebook and social media generally.

“Facebook is a treasure trove of local news, and is filled with interesting personalities, unsung heroes and great community stories which all too often slip under the radar of the wider population.

“The role of community reporter is a win-win situation for all concerned, particularly for those smaller groups and organisations who might otherwise only reach a small or limited audience.

“With so many people now using Facebook to tell their stories, it is vital that we can help them get the publicity they deserve.”

Western Telegraph editor Steve Adams said: “Ruth brings a wealth of journalistic experience and know-how to this new role and I’m really looking forward to seeing how she can help some of our more rural communities and specific-interest groups make full use of the audiences we can give them.

“We all recognise the importance social media now plays in people’s lives, so to have a dedicated reporter funded by Facebook and focussing specifically on the groups and communities it hosts is great news for us.”

To contact Ruth, email rda@westerntelegraph.co.uk