The National Union of Journalists has voiced its dismay at the proposed closure of two weekly papers in Nortehrn Ireland.
Alpha Media Group titles the Carrickfergus Advertiser, which is 131-years-old, and the Ballyclare Gazette have been published for the final time this week and are not expected to reappear unless a buyer can be found.
Six editorial jobs are at risk as a result of the closures, including two photographers.
Barry McCall, NUJ president, said the announcement “marked another sad chapter in the history of regional journalism.”
He said: “Two of the three titles in the East Antrim Gazette division of Alpha are to close with no apparent regard for the impact of the decision on the staff or local communities.
“This is a blow to the life of the local communities in these towns and the East Antrim region. I hope other options could be considered. We have witnessed far too many communities being left devoid of locally edited titles reflecting the news in their own area.”
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Where are we meant to train the next generation of journalists if all these weeklies are closing?
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Well that’s the big question isn’t. There are far too many journalist being trained for far too few posts. The newspaper industry is dying but the various colleges involved in training journalists seem to be in denial. Hopefully some new model will emerge for professional journalism but the numbers involved will be much smaller
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