Britain’s regional newspapers are in crisis thanks to the credit crunch and changes in the way people want to consume news. - by Nicola Pledger, Account Manager
A 40%* drop in advertising revenues has meant that Midlands’ newspapers have been among the worst hit in the country. At Trinity Mirror, the region’s main local newspaper group, a massive restructuring programme has been announced with 70 journalist positions lost and nine regional weeklies shut down. Rumours regarding a plans to turn the Birmingham Mail to an overnight paper (with the Post as a weekly insert), are also doing the rounds, and thelondonpaper has folded.
Does it really matter if some regional newspapers close down?
John Lamb, Birmingham Press Club chairman thinks it does: This poses a serious threat to the credibility of the whole region’s news media…The Birmingham Post has been in daily print since 1857, and is an indispensable part of Birmingham’s heritage and in particular its business life.
Local papers are the glue that holds together towns and cities. Regional papers report stories from their communities – including coverage of local sports teams, court cases and local government issues – which are ignored by the national media. But, there’s also an argument that some free papers are just notice boards for advertisers, carrying no news of worth.
The Newspaper Society’s research shows consumers find local newspapers most helpful in deciding where to shop and be entertained. Even though people are communicating with friends on a worldwide, real-time basis, we still care about what’s happening in our local area.
"Your local paper is not just a commercial animal. It's a vital leg in democracy," Kelvin MacKenzie told readers of his column in The Sun. "Who will tell you what local councils are up to in the future? Not Google. Who will cover magistrates’ courts, inquests, local crime, the speech days? Not Google."
What about citizen journalism?
Blogging, camera phones and other new technologies have turned every eyewitness into a ‘citizen journalist’, challenging the ‘professionals’ to reinvent themselves to remain relevant. These advances also allow stories to be assembled and published ‘as-it-happens’ online, putting new pressures on old editorial structures.
New technologies shouldn’t replace the old, but rather alter the ecosystem in which both can co-exist successfully. One example of this was when citizen journalists contributed their own film and footage to the BBC Midlands Today report on a freak wave of mini tornadoes last summer.
These citizen journalists weren’t interested in managing and editing the news but they wanted to contribute in a way that added value – they could be there when the BBC was not. The BBC was able to package the story with context and expert comment – giving it credibility and tackling the subject in an even-handed way.
How will this effect PR professionals?
PR professionals realise that although the roles of local newspapers may be changing, they should not be underestimated.
Relevance is king when targeting local journalists, with convenience a close second. Gone are the days of wooing a journalist over a liquid lunch so we need to make their lives more pleasant in other ways by giving them news that is well-targeted, supplying relevant third party quotes, photography and in some cases film.
A final word from Gill Holtom, our own PR group account director and former journalist from the Express and Star: It’s clear that the regional reporter’s job has changed dramatically over the past decade. The pressure’s on to produce more content than ever before…but with shrinking resources. We in PR can help by making sure we supply the kind of high quality material that will keep the readers reading, and the advertisers spending.
*Birmingham Press Club
A 40%* drop in advertising revenues has meant that Midlands’ newspapers have been among the worst hit in the country. At Trinity Mirror, the region’s main local newspaper group, a massive restructuring programme has been announced with 70 journalist positions lost and nine regional weeklies shut down. Rumours regarding a plans to turn the Birmingham Mail to an overnight paper (with the Post as a weekly insert), are also doing the rounds, and thelondonpaper has folded.
John Lamb, Birmingham Press Club chairman thinks it does: This poses a serious threat to the credibility of the whole region’s news media…The Birmingham Post has been in daily print since 1857, and is an indispensable part of Birmingham’s heritage and in particular its business life.
Local papers are the glue that holds together towns and cities. Regional papers report stories from their communities – including coverage of local sports teams, court cases and local government issues – which are ignored by the national media. But, there’s also an argument that some free papers are just notice boards for advertisers, carrying no news of worth.
The Newspaper Society’s research shows consumers find local newspapers most helpful in deciding where to shop and be entertained. Even though people are communicating with friends on a worldwide, real-time basis, we still care about what’s happening in our local area.
"Your local paper is not just a commercial animal. It's a vital leg in democracy," Kelvin MacKenzie told readers of his column in The Sun. "Who will tell you what local councils are up to in the future? Not Google. Who will cover magistrates’ courts, inquests, local crime, the speech days? Not Google."
Blogging, camera phones and other new technologies have turned every eyewitness into a ‘citizen journalist’, challenging the ‘professionals’ to reinvent themselves to remain relevant. These advances also allow stories to be assembled and published ‘as-it-happens’ online, putting new pressures on old editorial structures.
New technologies shouldn’t replace the old, but rather alter the ecosystem in which both can co-exist successfully. One example of this was when citizen journalists contributed their own film and footage to the BBC Midlands Today report on a freak wave of mini tornadoes last summer.
These citizen journalists weren’t interested in managing and editing the news but they wanted to contribute in a way that added value – they could be there when the BBC was not. The BBC was able to package the story with context and expert comment – giving it credibility and tackling the subject in an even-handed way.
PR professionals realise that although the roles of local newspapers may be changing, they should not be underestimated.
Relevance is king when targeting local journalists, with convenience a close second. Gone are the days of wooing a journalist over a liquid lunch so we need to make their lives more pleasant in other ways by giving them news that is well-targeted, supplying relevant third party quotes, photography and in some cases film.
A final word from Gill Holtom, our own PR group account director and former journalist from the Express and Star: It’s clear that the regional reporter’s job has changed dramatically over the past decade. The pressure’s on to produce more content than ever before…but with shrinking resources. We in PR can help by making sure we supply the kind of high quality material that will keep the readers reading, and the advertisers spending.
*Birmingham Press Club
