Out With A Bang

There were several points that stuck out like sore thumbs with regard to today’s decision by the BBC Trust to formally knock those dastardly local video plans on the head.

Many of which are covered here by the learned Professor…

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2008/nov/21/bbc-theregions

And the subsequent comments.

What fascinates me is the role of the Tory party as the great champions of the local newspaper industry in all this – as the Newspaper Society clearly calls in all manner of favours off those with a marginal seat to protect.

Cue Jeremy Hunt, the Conservative culture spokesman, said: “These plans were totally flawed and would have done enormous damage to a struggling local newspaper industry…”

OK, let’s look at some other proposals on the table and see how they might ‘help’ the same ’struggling local newspaper industry…’

David Cameron’s, to be exact. His commitment to local councillors – that any incoming Tory administration would empower them to place all those local government adverts online… remember those?

Here we go… http://outwithabang.rickwaghorn.co.uk/?p=60

In particular, this little pledge…

“We will require local authorities to publish this information – about the services they provide, council meetings and how councillors vote – online and in a standardised format,” he told his audience, as they lapped up the possibility of slashing their costs and looking all new media friendly into the bargain.

“That way, it can be collected and used by the public and third party groups. And this move will be accompanied by relaxing controls which force councils to pay to publish statutory notices. That way, we will actually reduce local government costs.”

Mmm. ‘Relaxing controls which force councils to pay to publish statutory notices…’

Pay to whom? Ah, that would be to the ’struggling local newspaper industry…’

So which proposal is actually more likely to inflict “enormous” damage to said industry? One BBC VJ wandering the streets of Barnsley every other week – or an in-coming Tory administration ‘committed’ to ripping out every last planning application and bridleway improvement notice out of the local newspaper?

Presumeably, that will be another favour the Newspaper Society will be anxiously calling in over the next 18 months… ‘No need for that, is there..?’

What will be equally fascinating to watch is whether Ms Bailey’s passionate defence of ‘diversity and plurality’ in the local marketplace extends to rolling out the welcome mat for Ms McCall if the Guardian’s proposed CityLocal thingy rolls up outside the gates of Fort Dunlop.

http://outwithabang.rickwaghorn.co.uk/?p=178

“Regional and local newspapers are having to reshape their business around what consumers want to see and what they can afford to serve,” said Ms McCall, in this baby today… http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/nov/21/bbc-local-online-video-newspaper-society

“This [decision] is going to give [local media] a chance to reshape their businesses experiment and innovate in local video. They need time to find a way to do that.”

Or, indeed, innovate and reshape their businesses in cities other than Manchester.

Still at least the market loved it; as of 4.30pm, Johnston Press’ share price had risen almost 10%. To just over the seven pence mark.

It’s not always that I find common cause with the NUJ; but Dear is spot on when he sees it all as an opportunity wasted.

For me, the Newspaper Society has just bitten off a hand that could have fed them – you swap your Barnsley match reports for their TV feed; you do what you do best – write – and link to the rest… and you drive traffic to and from eachother.

And as my Mrs and dozen of other decent journalists wait to hear what Archant (Norfolk) have in store for them next week, you can bet your bottom dollar that not a single job will be saved because there’s no new VJ working out of Look East next autumn.

If this is a ‘victory’ for the regional newspaper industry, it’ll all ring very, very hollow for thousands of families across the country whose lives are about to be turned upside down.