News

The Society of Editors and the Newspaper Society have sent Culture Secretary Andy Burnham a list of urgent action points to help the local media industry, which is under special pressure from the economic downturn.

The presidents of both organisations met the minister last week and have responded to his request for quick action points.

These include:

•  The Government could issue guidance to discourage local government publications and websites that compete directly with and undermine local papers.
• Local and national government, which recognise the effectiveness of local media editorially, could be encouraged to advertise jobs and services in local papers and their websites. This would be cost effective and recognise that supporting local media is very much in the public interest.
• The removal of the threat of relaxation of obligations to advertise public notices in local newspapers should be simple to achieve.
• Recognising that news gathering, the collection of raw material for any media organisation, is especially expensive, ministers could look urgently for effective ways in which Google and others could be prevented from profiting from third party content without recompense to or consent from those who generated the material. This would also be of value to other parts of the media.
• Investment of public funds for training directly with media companies and the industry's main training organisation, the NCTJ, would help local papers to maintain news gathering and encourage training for multi-platform news delivery.

Ministers are already discussing liberalisation of controls over regional and local newspaper mergers, transfers and cross-media ownership, which both organisations have urged.

Nigel Pickover, president of the Society of Editors who is editor of the Evening Star, Ipswich said: "We are pleased that the Secretary of State is concerned about the special problems of the regional press and these ideas could have a direct and speedy effect on local and regional papers and therefore on local communities and democracy.

“The industry is not asking for special treatment but rather for Government action to help ensure there is a level playing field in a rapidly changing media market place. The problem is serious and urgent.”

In addition to this, a leading journalism academic believes that corporate tax relief to fund training could provide long-term investment for the newspaper industry. Francois Nel, founding director of the Journalism Leaders Programme at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN), is considering launching an online petition to ask the government for tax relief of one per cent of payroll per annum to provide funds for training.

The Society of Editors has more than 400 members in national, regional and local newspapers, magazines, broadcasting and digital media, media law and journalism education.

The Newspaper Society represents the local media industry.

For further information or comment please contact Bob Satchwell, executive director of the Society of Editors on 01223 304080 or 07860 56281.

Members can view a copy of the letter that was sent to Andy Burnham by logging into the Members Area.