read all about it - a story from before the smartphone

There's a generation of people now who have never bought a newspaper. Ever. And even for those of us who have it's more an occasional, old skool treat for a train trip or a day sat away from screens. So it's good to be reminded of the sway they once had, and, in some areas, still do...

by GUEST EDITOR Will Mapplebeck

My first job in journalism was with the Westmorland Gazette in Kendal in the Lake District.

God, I was bored. I sometimes joke that I was there for almost three years and absolutely nothing happened.

There was one murder.

It was my week off and I missed it.

New Labour was elected, Princess Diana died, the IRA blew up half of Manchester city centre. There was a palpable sense that Britain could be on the cusp of big change.

But not in Kendal or its picturesque patch which still resembled what George Orwell was talking about when he described 'old maids cycling to Holy Communion through the morning mist'.

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a response from cormac smith to the press gazette

Last week's Press Gazette claimed that 3,400 communications staff – more than double the total for central government - worked in local government. Here's a response by the Chair of LGcomms...

by Cormac Smith

In last week's Press Gazette, William Turvill wrote about local councils employing at least 3,400 communications staff – more than double the total for central government. His report went on to talk about the decline of local newspapers, implying to this reader a link - but never actually provided any evidence of one. 

It is not local councils who have decided to cut back investment in local titles – it is the publishers of these titles who have done this.

He went on to talk about questionable practice in a small number of councils and quoted a regional political editor who suggested many journalists would balk at the number of communications officers employed by local government – but who did not say why.

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the uncomfortable alliance: journalists, comms teams and the politics of envy

You know how when sometimes you read something. And you just have to put pen to paper...

by Julie Waddicor

Journalists are interesting beasts aren’t they? Most of you will know that intimately, as you are either a former journalist yourself, work closely with colleagues who were journalists in a past life, or deal with them in a daily basis through your job.

Regional journalists exist in a state of dichotomy. One hand they are generally irritated by bureaucracy, can have an outdated image of local government (as wasteful, useless and full of people who couldn’t survive in the real world), have little time for complexity (and local government is complex), may or may not believe in public service, and may or may not believe in the need to employ people to deliver it.

On the other hand they have a passion for truth and clarity, they want openness and they use great communication to tell stories.

So, just like a good comms officer really. They are also faced with a massively changing industry, with little time to adapt and little job security. Ah: so with familiarity comes contempt.

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even newspaper editors are ditching the press release

 If there's one thing that guarantees debate it's the future of the press release question. Thing is, while PR people are talking newspaper people have started to quietly turn away from it.

by Eddie Coates-Madden

I missed the apparently now annual @commscamp dust up over the Press Release this year. 

I may have inadvertently started it and run away last year, and I think I was supposed to kick off a brawl about it at an LGComms fringe event last year too, but sort of declined. Sort of. 

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being first with the news

There's often a tendancy to clam up when something bad happens in an organisation, especially when the subject matter is truly sad and disturbing. But one local authority took a braver approach.

by Amanda Rose

As a council press officer there are issues you’ll face which initially will fill you with dread.

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how regional media companies brought themselves down

There's no question the news landscape has changed. But why have the big media companies allowed it to change? And what does the future look like? In this take the National Union of Journalists' Chris Morley poses a few awkward questions.

by Chris Morley

I first started work as a trainee on the Walsall Observer in 1983. At that time it sold about 35,000 copies per week and had an editorial staff of an editor, deputy editor, sports editor, chief reporter, four senior reporters, two photographers and three trainees.

It was the pre-eminent of three weekly newspapers in the borough, holding its own against the mighty dailies of the Wolverhampton Express and Star that had a team of 10 reporters and photographers and the Birmingham Mail that had two reporters.

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when geek meets journo

From time to time we have work experience students come into the office proclaiming their desire to be journalists. I have to admit that my heart slightly sinks and a desire to 'talk them out of it' kicks in. But perhaps there is hope, yet...

by GUEST EDITOR Carolyne Mitchell

Those who know me both online and in real life will have heard me bemoaning the fact that the skills taught in computing classes in schools around the country are failing to plug the skills gap in this country and failing to engage our kids.

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new newspaper websites fail to impress - shock

There has been a makeover for regional newspaper websites under the Local World banner. That's the part of the industry owned by an organisation formed earlier this year between Northcliffe and Iliffe Media. It's fair to say that not everyone has been bowled over. Here's one comms officer's take...

by Theresa Knight

One of the first jobs of the day (after making the coffee) is to check out what’s been happening by browsing the local newspaper’s website to see what they’ve done with that press enquiry.

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'newspapers in print are clearly going away. I think you're an idiot if you think that's not happening.'

It's not just the naysayers who say that print newspapers are winding down. But can they meet the challenge of digital first? One man thinks so. And he's got a news business with a $1.3 billion turnover.

by Dan Slee

Fail to understand the changing landscape and very soon you won't have a job.

It's something I've been banging on about for some time now and It's true whether you are a journalist, comms person or a fifth generation pit prop maker in 1983.

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