TD Feighan calls on ministers to support local newspapers
A SLIGO-LEITRIM TD has called on his fellow ministers to support local and regional newspapers.
Deputy Frank Feighan stated last week that he has written to his colleague Catherine Martin – the Minister with responsibility for media – to provide funding similar to the €5 million allocated to local radio stations last year.
While local papers have faced the ever-growing challenge of online news for the last decade or so, the Fine Gael representative said that he is making the call for this support in the face of the influence of deliberately misleading news sources.
He said: “Our local newspaper faces huge challenges and requires government supports.
“Over many years local newspapers were the main source for local news and sport results, newsagents sold hundreds on papers, then came along local radio in the late 1980s which became a source of competition. However the coming of the internet and social media has had a dramatic effect on the demand for the local paper, leading to dramatic sales drop and advertising revenue.
“This has put many of these titles under financial pressure and possible closure, to date they have haemorrhaged staff and the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated their position.
“As a public representative I have a clear concern where many people, especially younger people source their news and information. It has been proven that some news sources through the internet and social media broadcast and publish ‘fake news’ leading to mis-information and presenting a real danger to our society. One only has to observe the recent election in the US, where many people are convinced that this election was stolen from the outgoing president.”
“I am urging people, especially our younger generation, to buy your local newspaper if not every week then as regularly as possible because like many things in life if you don’t use it you will lose it. Since 2010, 16 local papers have closed.”