Local news media performs numerous functions in society. It scrutinises and holds to account local authorities and individual institutions.
Individual media incorporates regional newspapers, community radio, local television, citizen journalism and news blogging. In Dresden and Leeds these individual media provide a comprehensive local news service in their respective communities without direct competition. However the global economic recession, declining circulations (the number of copies printed per day), classified advertising revenue migrating online, non-classified revenues threatened by online group discount models combined with the rise in social media, have resulted in changes to the way people live their lives, how they communicate with one another, and how they use different media. Doom laden warnings predicting the end of newspapers and public service journalism are prevalent. But an on-going study entitled: "Informing the Community" on local news media firms in Leeds and Dresden reveals a different reality. This is a major independent research study looking at the importance of the community and asking whether it has been affected by these events. It also looks at how local media, local newspapers and their companion websites, fit into this picture and assess the implications for advertisers.
I found that local news media remains highly relevant in the modern world and its unique engagement with audiences across print and digital platforms continues to deliver significant levels of action on advertising. Strong branding is vital in the "chaos" of the internet marketplace as it enables the news media firm to differentiate itself on the internet. Firms with a strong brand for high quality local news journalism are an authentic source to consumers and the consumer is more prepared to pay for this authenticity and quality.
In the German city of Dresden local newspaper Saechsische Zeitung with a circulation of 49,000 copies (population of 523,038) aimed in spite of the current economic climate to protect high quality journalism. The Digital Editor suggested: "we are aiming to have more reporters working throughout our city. We have plans to shortly launch iPhone and mobile applications of the newspaper and to offer free iPad's to our subscribers who pay a 12 month subscription. Circulation depends on having detailed knowledge and intelligence of your patch and knowing where your potential buyers are". The newspaper charged a weekly subscription rate of 7.50 Euros (£6.59). They now have over 2,000 online subscribers and 29,000 subscribers to their printed editions.
While in Leeds there was a clear message from the study that people value community even more highly than they used to and will consequently be more willing to engage with brands that get involved at a local level. Further that local media remains highly relevant in the modern world with its unique audience engagement across print and digital platforms. While some form of paid-for content remains vital for maintaining the brand identity of the regional newspaper. The segments identified to sustain paid on line content include: domestic (living out of the area)/overseas readers; corporates requiring archives; sport/business and (premium) customized services.
Local media is by far the most effective media source for helping people to integrate with their local surroundings. My study of 1000 randomly sampled by telephone and email of people living in Leeds and Dresden found that local media (73 per cent) is the most relevant media source for feeling part of the community ahead of the internet (22 per cent), TV (11 per cent) and national newspapers (five per cent). And local media (45 per cent) continues to be the most trusted source of content, ahead of television (37 per cent), national newspapers (33 per cent) and the internet (32 per cent).
Although printed newspaper circulations are in decline, opportunities to monetize content and attract new revenue sources are emerging from radical technological innovations such as digital printing, DIY/micro advertising, social media, foldable screens, iPads or Android Smartphone applications. While community radio and local television had good engagement with younger consumers the newspapers recognised that they needed to improve their participation levels.
Local news media firms have faced tough challenges in recent years but they can take heart from the findings of Informing the Community. Individual media is by far the most effective source for helping people to integrate with their community and the increased importance of local has a real impact on how readers perceive brands. Ironically in an era of globalization, community has become critically important to the development of a healthy local news media service.