.

It is a community newspaper providing the region s south-Asian community access to important news stories, current events and encouraging community interaction and dialogue as well as provoking debate and discussion.

The Asian Leader Midlands Edition was launched in September 2002 in conjunction with its sister paper of the same name which was based in the North West of England. However, unlike the original version of the newspaper, the Midlands edition reported for a more tolerant and diverse readership within the south Asian community with wide-ranging stories catering for south-Asians of all faiths and lifestyles, whereas the North West newspaper largely catered for the Pakistani Muslim community to reflect the population of Bradford, Manchester and surrounding areas.

Asian Leader had to represent the East Midlands and West Midlands where Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists hailing from Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa resided and so stories and features naturally had to reflect issues, concerns and celebrations important to those communties. The Asian Leader also believed in creating a more unified readership by reporting on joint initiatives and events in which the different communities worked together.

The Asian Leader Midlands Edition was responsible for breaking numerous exclusives in the region and nationwide. It has also delved into areas which other south-Asian newspapers would avoid, by reporting on controversial and sometimes taboo subjects including asylum seekers, domestic violence and even reported on Asians and Muslims celebrating Birmingham s Gay Pride. The newspaper briefly adopting the title Your Leader in August 2005 and then permanently rebranded itself as The Asian Today in September 2005.

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