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Post and Mail 'vital part of democratic society'

Newspapers like the Birmingham Post and Mail exist as a vital part of a democratic society, a media debate was told.

National Union of Journalists northern organiser Chris Morley said that “quality” was the key to the future of the titles.

He was speaking last night as a panellist at an open debate organised by the Birmingham Press Club to discuss the future of the region’s print and broadcast media.

The debate was organised following the announcement by Trinity Mirror earlier this month that it planned to close nine weekly papers and shed 17 editorial jobs at its weekly titles in the Midlands.

Elsewhere in the region the Express and Star is closing its Sporting Star paper, which comes out Saturday evenings, and ITV has shed jobs at its Birmingham operation.

Chris told the debate: “There has been a wilful debauchery of profit taking by media companies without an eye for the future.

“The papers like the Post and Mail must survive and they must exist. They have a vital role in society.

“Without them, you’re not going to get your court cases covered, local councils brought to account. You will not have dodgy businessmen investigated. The newspapers do things that no website ever does.

“You have to have properly resourced journalists doing their jobs where they are not under huge pressures every day.”

Another panellist Chris Bullivant, owner of Worcestershire-based newspaper publisher Bullivant Media Limited, said the Birmingham titles needed an outside investor to come in.

He said: “The Mail is being run by remote control from London and it needs local people coming in to run it. It is saveable.”

Also speaking at the debate were Jonathan Guthrie, enterprise editor of the Financial Times, who wrote last week that the Birmingham Post could cease daily publication after 152 years.

He said: “I do not see local newspapers ceasing to exist. This city needs one flagship titles and hopefully the Birmingham Mail will survive.”

The NUJ chapels in Birmingham yesterday announced they had passed a motion of no confidence in Trinity Mirror management.

Georgina Harvey, Trinity Mirror Regionals managing director, hit back, calling it just a publicity stunt which did nothing to help the commercial challenges facing the business.

Comments

Philip Dalling (14/07/2009 16:56:21)
It is impossible to disagree with the statement that local newspapers are a vital part of democracy.
Not everyone in public life agrees. I attended the annual conference of the Standards Board for England in Birmingham last October and was horrified by the attitude towards the media of a large proportion of the delegates (mostly elected members of local authorities.
They were extremely sceptical about the media and journalists. My contention that good local newspapers were far more effective in preventing/detecting foul play than any number of standards committees was not well received.
While newspapers are a vital part of democracy it has to be said that, with very few exceptions (and no successful exceptions that I can think of), they have always been purely commercial products. Even The Guardian Media Group conducts its business according to the market.
The real problem seems to be making newspapers profitable in a changing world. I personally believe that any other form of newspaper ownership ie one not conducted on a commercial/market basis, is either desirable or likely to succeed.
The return to smaller, more locally-based ownerships that has been mentioned in recent times may not be viable in the current climate.
Unfortunately, like many people, I have to admit that I do not have any simple answers to the problems facing the industry.

Philip Dalling (14/07/2009 16:59:29)
Just to point out that there is a literal in my comment.
Where I say `I personally believe that any other form of newspaper ownership ie one not conducted on a commercial/market basis, is either desirable or likely to succeed’, please read `neither desirable’ and not `either desirable’.

Chris Youett, Esq, (15/07/2009 09:37:01)
Trinity Mirror Regionals MD Georgina Harvey needs to live in the real world.
There is one reason – and one reason only – why newspaper circulations have gone down: a willful refusal to market them and develop the business.
If Georgina thinks that the Birmingham Press Club debate was a publicity stunt, she should have turned up and seen just how many senior figures in the West Midlands are concerned over the way that TM is running its business.
Ford is regarded as probably the worst-run of the Fortune 1,000 companies. Even it wouldn’t make sure a has of running TM.
If Georgina wants to stop the rot her first act has to be to start charging a realistic rate for digital services. The current rate means that each digital reader is losing TM £10 per month. The subscription rate should be nearer £40 a month.

J (15/07/2009 11:38:46)
Chris Youett, Esq,- and who on earth would pay for it?

Realist (15/07/2009 13:16:03)
CY has a point.
Awful truth. Despite everyone working their …. off digital is not the cash cow everyone thought it would be.
There are signs of panic.
Some local papers sites in population areas of 150,000 get excited if a story gets 500 hits. That’s a no-brainer.
We should all give it our best shot, though.

Winky Wonk (20/07/2009 22:09:39)
“The newspapers do things that no website ever does.”
Oh dear, Mr Morley. Perhaps you should look at what some of the hyperlocal sites are doing? Maybe the NUJ should realise the industry is reshaping rather than fighting to save sinking ships?