Minister’s call to save Press as 300 local papers shut
BRITAIN’S ‘fearless and independent’ Press is one of the ‘foundations’ of democracy and must be protected, the Culture Secretary has warned.
Matt Hancock has spoken out in defence of journalism as figures released today reveal that more than 300 local and regional titles have closed since 2007 – meaning some large towns are left without a local newspaper.
There are also 25 per cent fewer full-time journalism jobs than there were in 2007, while a quarter of all regional and local publications have closed.
The Cairncross Review, which is carrying out an investigation into the state of the news media industry, has published the figures as part of its call for evidence on the problem.
The review will look at threats to financial sustainability, the role and impact of search engines and social media and how advertising revenues have been hit by the rise of web platforms such as Google and Facebook.
Mr Hancock said: ‘Our fearless and independent Press plays a vital role in informing citizens and is one of the foundations on which our democracy is built.’
‘At a time of dramatic technological changes and with our institutions under threat from disinformation, we need this clear-eyed view of how high-quality journalism can continue to be effectively produced, distributed and consumed.’
Total revenues across the industry have fallen by more than half in the past ten years – with the figure dropping from nearly £7billion to just over £3billion. Although newspapers’ digital revenues have grown, they have failed to meet the
‘Plays a vital role in informing citizens’
shortfall, amounting to only £428million in 2017. The number of full-time print journalists has also dropped, from 23,000 in 2007 to 17,000 in 2017.
Despite this, newspapers and their websites are still much the biggest investors in journalism – accounting for 50 per cent of all editorial expenditure, against 36 per cent for radio and TV, and only 14 per cent for online publishers.
The review is being chaired by Dame Frances Cairncross, who has called for those with an interest in the industry to provide evidence about how journalism has been affected so that recommendations can be made to Government.
‘This review is not about preserving the status quo,’ she said. ‘We need to explore ways in which we can ensure that consumers in ten years’ time have access to highquality journalism which meets their needs, is delivered in the way they want, and supports democratic engagement.’
The figures released today are part of a report conducted by research group Mediatique and commissioned by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
It found that the newspaper industry has been under ‘sustained threat’ for the past decade – with print advertising slashed in half since 2007.
The Mediatique report found that the ‘dramatic changes’ in revenue and number of publications had been fuelled by shifts in consumer behaviour – and the reliance on devices such as phones and tablets.
Figures by Mediatique revealed that there were 1,303 regional and local newspapers in 2007 compared with 982 in 2017.
The Cairncross Review panel is made up of representatives from across the journalism industry as well as experts from academia, advertising and technology. Its report will be published early next year.