Turkey In ‘Call Off Christmas, Pleaeeease!’ Plea…

David Holdstock lays into Eric Pickles in CiF:

A thriving local media built on quality journalism is essential for local democracy. Councils have long supported – and been challenged by – local media, who make a robust contribution to the political process. Local newspapers are also valuable conduits for information about council services and frequently work in partnership with public bodies to campaign on issues relevant to their local communities.

Indeed! Where would we be without the impartial journalism of the local budgie-liner, or the delights of ‘Angry People in Local Newspapers’?

But I digress. What’s the problem, Davy?

However, while the pledge by Eric Pickles to review and clarify the rules on council publications should be welcomed, his suggestion to get rid of them will not solve the long-term problems that local newspapers are facing.

*shrug* Far as I can see, that’s not the reason for doing it anyway.

It’s to ensure that councils don’t waste yet more taxpayer’s cash on blowing their own trumpets, and employing – at vast cost – a horde of wannabe meejah mouthpieces into the bargain. Who could object to that?

Hey, wait. Who are you again?

David Holdstock is chairman of LGcommunications which represents more than 200 local authority communication departments across the UK and Ireland and aims to promote and extend best practice in public services communications. He is also head of corporate communications at the London Borough of Hillingdon

Ah. I see…

While there are some notable exceptions around the country, many have been underfunded, understaffed and under-resourced for at least a generation. As a result, people do not see their local papers reflecting their daily lives, and so they turn to other sources.

Oh! Right! Of course, local council ratepayers are demanding you stuff the town halls with more useless mouths, are they?

They are assembling outside town halls all across the UK, crying ‘Save us! Employ more media studies graduates!’ are they?

The real story is that increasingly, local authority publications fill the growing information gap in response to poor or non-existent reporting of council policies, decisions and events in local newspapers.

Most local councils have websites now, Davy. We are in the 21st century, after all.

So the people that want to know when the Bank Holiday refuse collection will be made can find that information, and those that don’t want to, don’t have to have it cluttering their newspaper.

Moreover, LG Communications' own research indicates that as the vast majority of the country receives a council magazine or newspaper no more than once every two months, they are unlikely to affect daily or weekly local newspapers.

Your own research indicated that there was a need for you to exist?

Pardon me if I don’t fall over backwards in shock at that!

A recent report by the Audit Commission endorsed the role of local authority newspapers and magazines, and in producing them, councils are following best practice as recommended by the Communities and Local Government department and the Local Government Association.

As part of this review, LG Communications will therefore be seeking a commitment from the newspaper industry that it will improve local reporting, which has fallen substantially in terms of quality and quantity over the past decade.

Let’s hope the local newspaper industry tell you to get stuffed…

We want to see reporters returning to town halls to report on council meetings and newspapers based in their locality, not in regional hubs.

Are you sure you want more reporting on council meetings? Are you really sure that’ll show councils in a better light?

Placing restrictions on council publications could damage the progress made in increasing how well-informed people feel about their councils, how satisfied they are with the place they live and their engagement with local democracy and civic society as a whole.

And maybe it won’t.

Let’s try it, eh? What have we got to lose, except for yet another bloodsucking council tick off our leg?