Local paper still on fire

It is many years since I last rattled the keys of a typewriter to help fill the pages of a weekly newspaper.

But
a subsequent career in local and national broadcasting, with homes in
many counties, has seen me witness a sad decline in value for money in
local journalism.

It has given me great pleasure, though, on
returning to Grantham after a break of 15 years to find that the
Grantham Journal has not lost the fire in its belly. Where other papers
have given up local government reporting and cannot be bothered to
attend parish council meetings, the Journal regularly rattles their
cage.

Where others prefer to leave breaking stories alone, the
Journal gives them a colour splash, and as a result, is still giving
local radio stations a run for their money.

I hope, therefore,
you will allow me a little space to put on record my congratulations to
the Journal ‘s team for the excellent, lively, campaigning journalism
which makes their paper a great read, and such good value!

For
many pensioners – and surely they are the mainstay of local weekly
sales – the continuing threat from rising council taxes is one reason
why they have to think twice before spending even the price of weekly
paper.

And I’m sure there’s a direct link between weak content and falling sales.