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The TUC congress has backed a motion urging the government to hold an inquiry into the future of local newspapers. The delegates supported the call by the National Union of Journalists.
Andy Smith, the NUJ's joint-president, argued that a government-commissioned inquiry should consider different models of ownership and investigate how titles could be protected as community assets.
He also wanted to see greater encouragement to ensure a more diverse and plural local press. He said:
"On a daily basis we're called upon to support our members dealing with the redundancies, the reorganisations, the stress, the frustration as they watch papers they care passionately about being slowly destroyed by owners protecting absurd profit margins and managing decline rather than investing in quality journalism and planning for the future.
Despite the bad news, I do believe local newspapers have a future. But it's not a future where recycled press releases and readers' photos are thrown together under a regional masthead, one line on a balance sheet of some multi-national giant, vulnerable to decisions made by people who know precious little about the titles they own and nothing at all about where you live."
The motion was seconded by Unite delegate Nigel Gawthrope who said the loss of jobs for printers and journalists was "a disservice to the readers and local democracy."
Gawthorpe, who is a Cambridge city councillor, said newspapers should be holding local politicians like himself to account.
Sources: NUJ/Prolific North
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