Local newspapers, like the mob, has a habit of pulling me back.
For 12-years I worked on local papers writing whole forest-pulping amounts of stories on everything from table-top sales to triple murders.
More than a decade since I sent my last nib the industry keeps tugging at my coat tails.
Today, I read an earnest defence of local newspapers blogged by Ian Carter. You can read it here. In it, he defends the industry against the accusation of clickbait, listicles and falling standards. In particular he siezes on a well-documented story of a frontpage story of an out-of-date pasty being sold. It’s five years ago. Or, rather as this is newspapers there are CAPITAL LETTERS to show OUTRAGE:
“As part of the case for the prosecution, he digs out a story published five years – FIVE YEARS! – ago by the Folkestone Herald.”
Hey, maybe Ian is right. So, I’d like to share some more contemporary work in the style of a listical featured in the excellent Angry People in Local Newspapers Facebook page you can see here.
Seven local newspaper stories… I cried at number two and you’ll never believe number six
- CHAIR DESTROYED – Westmorland Gazette. It’s all kicking off in Kendal. However, the anonymous spokesman would have offended my old news editor greatly.
- CARNFORTH CIVIC HALL GETS NEW VACUUM CLEANER – Westmorland Gazette. Yet again, the Gazette is on the money. But no picture of the new Henry? Shoddy work!
- POLICE NOTICEBOARD LOCKCHANGE ROW ERUPTS – Wigan Today. Can nobody stop 2016 from being such a year? Bonus point for glum man next to the noticeboard.
- RESIDENTS PLUNGED INTO DARKNESS AFTER STREETLIGHTS TURNED OFF AN HOUR EARLIER – Lincolnshire Live. Never turned off. Always plunged. Good work.
- AN UN-BEAR-LIEVABLE SNAPSHOT! – Cambrian News Can I see the teddy bear in the sky like this one lucky reader? No, I can’t actually.
- CREME BRULEE TERROR – North West Evening Mail The very WORST kind of terror.
- ANOTHER BROOM SNAPPED IN HALF IN DERBYSHIRE VILLAGE – Derbyshire Times. Even more WORST terror.
So, join me to jump for joy, raise a glass to fine quality local journalism and look sad next to a pothole. There is a post I’ll write on newspapers and where they feature in 2016. This isn’t it.