Press

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Press

Postby Mori » Tue Jul 14, 2009 1:46 pm

Did a search on newspapers and nothing has come up specifically relating to Newspapers, therfore this thread for venting on good and bad press production.

With the Net taking over our everyday lives will there be any Newspapers left in years to come?

PDF 58 pages

House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee

Crisis in the ScottishPress Industry


Fourth Report of Session 2008–09
Report, together with formal minutes, oral and
written evidence
Ordered by the House of Commons
to be printed 1 July 2009

HC 401
Published on 13 July 2009
by authority of the House of Commons
London: The Stationery Office Limited
£0.00


1 Introduction
1. On 11 March 2009 we agreed to take oral evidence on the current issues facing the
Scottish press industry. On 31 March we took evidence from Mr Stephen Boyd, Scottish
Trades Union Congress, Mr Paul Holleran, National Union of Journalists, Professor Neil
Blain, University of Stirling and Mr Martin Boyle, Cardonald College, Glasgow. On 6 May
we took evidence from Mr Tim Blott, Newsquest, Mr Mark Hollinshead, Trinity Mirror
plc, Mr John McLellan, Editor of The Scotsman, Mr Jim Raeburn, Scottish Daily
Newspaper Society, and Mr Michael Johnston, Johnston Press. In addition to the two
evidence sessions, we received a memorandum submitted by the Scotland Office. We are
publishing the evidence received with this short report which aims to highlight the issues
raised. We are grateful to all those who gave evidence to us.
2 Pressures facing the industry
Circulation and profits
2. Scotland is one of the most competitive markets for newspapers with 17 daily papers
printed for a population of five million.1 Over the past 20 years, the traditional Scottish
titles have been joined by Scottish editions of English newspapers. The Press and Journal,
The Courier, The Scotsman and The Herald sell approximately 260–270,000 copies a day
between the four of them, whilst the Scottish editions of the Times, The Guardian, The
Telegraph and The Independent sell 75–80,000 per day between them.2
3. The figures for ABC Scottish newspaper circulation for March 2009 were as follows (all
percentage figures are on a year-on-year basis):

• Daily Record–358,290 (down 8.55%)
• The Herald–59,546 (down 10.70%)
• The Scotsman–49,113 (down 7.56%)
• Sunday Mail–443,242 (down 8.46%)
• Sunday Post–361,371 (down 9.69%)
• Scotland on Sunday–63,166 (down 11.81%)
• Sunday Herald–41,046 (down 17.70%)3


4. While, year on year, print circulation is declining by approximately 5.2%, the key raw
materials of newsprint have increased in cost by 20% in the past year.4 Generally, profits are
down, for both Scottish titles and Scottish editions of English titles.
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Re: Press

Postby Josef » Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:31 pm

The Press and Journal and The Courier outsell the The Scotsman and The Herald by 40-50,000 per day?

I buy a paper every weekday, but haven't bought a single copy of one of the Scottish-based ones since whatever year it was that Diana died. I don't see either of these changing in the forseeable future.

I buy the Guardian on Saturday purely for the Book Review section, but am thinking of moving to one of the dedicated review magazines instead, since it makes me feel guilty chucking the bulk of it in the bin. Sundays - there just isn't a good newspaper available.
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Re: Press

Postby Its_a_gamp » Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:41 pm

I gave up buying newspapers, I read the telegraph online most days, and I have the news on first thing in the morning, if anything important has happened I know someone on here will mention it.
Due to cutbacks, the light at the end of the tunnel is off until further notice!
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Re: Press

Postby Lucky Poet » Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:52 pm

Seeing how far the Daily Re**rd and the Sunday Mail outsell the other domestic titles makes me want to emigrate.
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Re: Press

Postby Mori » Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:28 pm

i think the last time i bought a paper was the late 90s, used to think the saturday Times ( not the Saturday Glasgow Evening Times :D ) was excelent though with all the different supplements in it .

Independent

I think David cameron will get his commings in the forseable future over the Murdoch empire bribes.

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Re: Press

Postby BrigitDoon » Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:47 pm

I'm in a permanent state of war with The Sun.
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Re: Press

Postby Lucky Poet » Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:59 pm

I haven't bought Scotland on Sunday since being pissed off by one of Gerald Warner's anti-gay tirades in 1999; happily for me the Sunday Herald was launched the week after. I've been out of the habit of buying it for a bit (which is part of the problem I guess) until last Sunday, when I did enjoy it. (Especially now Muriel Gray's back, much to my delight.) I resolve to buy it regularly again.

I have trouble reading Scottish editions of English papers - not because they're English per se of course, but I get tired of having to figure out whether the stories are of much relevance: i.e. talk of education policy, health ministers' latest pronouncements, &c., &c. Plus their analysis of, uh, 'constitutional issues' is naive at best; ignorant and vindictive pish at worst.
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Re: Press

Postby onyirtodd » Tue Jul 14, 2009 7:05 pm

Part of the troubled I have with printed news is that I find myself thinking 'I know who'd like to read that' or I ought to share that on XXXXXXXXX.com so almost inevitably you resort to the online version.

However there's still nothing better, IMHO, that sitting in a pub with a pint in one hand and some newsprint in the other.
238 to 127. All in all a good afternoon's work
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Re: Press

Postby Rucola » Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:19 pm

Part of the problem is that the press have cut their own staff so much that all they have time to do is regurgitate press releases. And anybody can do that.
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Re: Press

Postby Bing Buzby » Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:49 am

The Herald has been pretty poor at getting to grips with the internet. For Scotlands largest selling quality paper, their website is half-arsed. It's a fact of life across the world is moving away from print media to digital but The Herald seem to be treating the web as a necessary evil, at best. The Scotsman appear to have a much better grasp of online, but their journalism is pretty ropey. Too much opinion masquerading as news. (Word to Johnson Press, keech served with flair is still keech).

Have anybody ever bought into the digital version of The Herald? Truly awful, none of the benefits of a web or print edition. I would say they would be much better off putting resources into an improved website.
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Re: Press

Postby onyirtodd » Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:02 am

Bing Buzby wrote:The Herald has been pretty poor at getting to grips with the internet. For Scotlands largest selling quality paper, their website is half-arsed. It's a fact of life across the world is moving away from print media to digital but The Herald seem to be treating the web as a necessary evil, at best. The Scotsman appear to have a much better grasp of online, but their journalism is pretty ropey. Too much opinion masquerading as news. (Word to Johnson Press, keech served with flair is still keech).

Have anybody ever bought into the digital version of The Herald? Truly awful, none of the benefits of a web or print edition. I would say they would be much better off putting resources into an improved website.


They'd have to find a way of making money out of the online version. With appointments going on S1 Jobs and property going on S1 homes it's difficult to find a revenue stream in news alone. The Scotsman online has 'premium content' but I don't know anyone who's that keen.
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Re: Press

Postby Mori » Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:43 pm

Had the BBC got their way to distributing their new scheme on local video news would have been one of the 1st deathbells of the press as we know it.

No doubt that in the future a private a conglomerate will take this initiative and pull it through to fruition and is probably happening at this moment. :|

21 November 2008

BBC TRUST RESPONDS LOCAL MEDIA CONCERNS
AND REJECTS LOCAL VIDEO PLANS

“We are pleased that the BBC Trust and Ofcom have responded to the industry’s concerns and rejected the BBC Local Video plans for the time being. This is a proposal which the BBC should never have made and would have severely reduced consumers’ media choice and the rich tapestry of local news and information provision in the UK,” said Newspaper Society director David Newell.

“We will be seeking an urgent meeting with the Secretary of State to discuss the future roles of the BBC, BBC Trust and Ofcom and the current challenges facing regional and local media. We must be on our guard to ensure that the BBC is not allowed to expand its local services by alternative means.”


British Newspaper Society

Britain’s local media is a £4 billion sector delivering trusted, relevant news and information to over 40 million people a week across its print, online and broadcast channels:

- 1300 core newspapers
- 1200 websites
- 450 magazines
- 250 ultra local titles
- 45 radio stations
- 2 TV stations

Publishers are harnessing a powerful combination of print and digital to layer their local markets, extend audience reach and deliver ever greater advertiser response.
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Re: Press

Postby Mori » Tue Jul 28, 2009 11:51 pm

BBC and UK newspapers to share video

The BBC has agreed for the first time to share some online video news content with four UK newspaper websites in a groundbreaking new deal.
It will allow the newspapers to embed BBC video news alongside their own content, with the prospect that the deal be extended to other media outlets.
The papers will have a 48-hour window after video is put up on the BBC website to embed it in their own sites. Once they have it, the papers are able to leave it on their sites for as long as they wish.

Continues @...The Herald
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Re: Press

Postby tedmaul » Wed Jul 29, 2009 8:28 am

I subscribe to Private Eye - new issue every fortnight - and don't honestly feel that I'm less informed than someone who buys the Daily Record or The Sun every day. I understand that the sales of current affairs magazines like Private Eye are holding up whilst newspaper sales decline. It shows that people are willing to pay for content and are willing to pay for quality writing, in the right circumstances.

I’ve always considered it madness for newspapers to offer their content for free online and then wonder why hardcopy sales are declining. The newspaper industry needs to consider offering a micro-payment system, in my view. The Scotsman does offer premium content but, frankly, it's so difficult to negotiate that you just walk away. The same applies to trying to view old articles on the Herald or Evening Times. Why is it so complicated? Look how legitimate music downloading has taken off thanks to iTunes and the iPhone/iPod. Make it easy to buy and, more often than not, people will buy.

Would I take out an online subscription to a newspaper? Possibly. If it was the right price. Or they could let me buy access to a particular section/article for, say, 5p in a 'one-click' transaction. If I want to pay for The Guardian’s sports section but not its’ politics why can’t I do so online? At the moment, I get it free anyway! However, I may want to support the writing of Kevin McCarra but not the writing of Polly Toynbee. Newspapers have to consider that something is ALWAYS better than nothing.
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Re: Press

Postby Rucola » Thu Jul 30, 2009 12:24 am

Newspapers have created their own self-inflicted vicious circle of decline. Lazy, shoddy journalism leads to declining sales, which leads to cost-cutting, which leads to lazier, shoddier journalism.
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