Local Newspapers on the Way Out?

Interestingly enough, last year while at university I enjoyed a talk by the ex-business editor of the Yorkshire Evening Post. He was explaining in depth how the traditional print newspapers may soon be on the way out. At first I was outraged – why would we never want to pay an interest in the news but the more he explained the more it made sense. While sitting at our desks – if we are seen to have an open paper in front of us we are deemed to be wasting time where as if we are looking at our computer screens, searching through Facebook for all our employers know, we are seen to be working. Now, more and more people are receiving their news from the internet – google homepage, the newspapers own websites with far more interactive material. That was a year a go.

Now, I am the first to admit that I gain most of my newsworthy knowledge not only from newspapers own websites but from sources such as twitter and RSS feeds too. I very rarely buy a paper copy of the paper in the week any more simply collecting news items throughout the day electronically.

I was shocked and saddened by the recent announcements of redundancies at Archant’s offices in Norfolk who publish the Eastern Daily Press(EDP) and the Evening News not just because of the obvious negative impact on the people involved but because this is my local paper. Was the editor mentioned previously above right? Is print fading away and fast?

A group was set up on Facebook by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) regarding the amount of redundancies originally announced. On the 16th March Archant retracted their statement and reduced the redundancies by 20 people all due to the support raised from the group. The power of the latest media trend really does fill me with hope. Not only has it got so much power behind it but it was used to support an industry supposedly it is replacing which brings me on to my final point? Is there not enough room for both mediums?

I joke with my mum how the major headline on the local paper never reflects what is happening in the outside world, in the BBC News it will be ‘Interest rates drop to 1.5%’ where as the local paper will lead with ‘Dolly the sheep found live and well’ but all joking aside does it need to? it does fulfil a purpose, It delivers local news to local people. I am the first to believe that this recession will end businesses which should probably end anyway (I am awaiting a barrage of abuse as I write) allowing other businesses to get stronger -a business law of nature if you will but in this case I have to say...Long live the local paper!

Media Guardian has published an interesting podcast involving discussion around the death of local media., to listen to it please click here