I was delighted to get a call from my local newspaper recently to let me know they had returned from their Covid 19 closure, and asking me if I had any stories for their next issue.
The local paper has always been the ultimate in county pride – getting the graduation picture in the local rag was bragging gold dust for many’s a mammy and daddy!
Regional media is the community cornerstone, the pulse of the town but Covid 19 has changed the media landscape forever.
It was the final nail in the coffin for many local and regional newspapers that were already just barely surviving. Many were forced to close, simply because there was no advertising and zero revenue. It left many journalists unemployed.
It is fantastic to see some return, but devastating to know that several never will. What a gaping hole those well-loved local newspapers leave.
The local newspaper is one of the most valuable media outlets, as well as one of the most credible. It tells the story of a local audience from an insiders perspective.
No Facebook, Instagram or Twitter will ever be able to do this.
The role it plays is essential to our society, our culture, and our democratic reporting. The free press are the gatekeepers for our democracy. With the rise in fake news, the press has never been more important.
But, we must also remember the reality that local newspapers are also businesses.
They must make a profit to stay alive. And they won’t make a profit if their value is not seen, including their advertising value. Advertisers won’t see their value if the public and the local audience don’t read the paper.
Buy a newspaper. Our democracy depends on it.
Ciara
