Member Article

Is there any value in our regional press?

By Wayne Halton

Why should North East businesses and their marketing and PR advisers still recommend local newspapers as a legitimate channel to influence and help promote themselves?

The case appears fairly flimsy; let’s face it, many local newspapers and their every shrinking management teams seem to have given up the fight. Why should advertisers and communications professionals think otherwise?

Local press look a little aimless as thousands of former readers and young people continue to move online. While some in the marketing sector still resist the bleeding obvious, most of us recognise it’s becoming increasingly tough to advise clients to take the regional media seriously.

Why should regional businesses with hard pressed budgets advertise, sponsor or concern themselves with a local press that seems to be sleep walking into A&E?

Let’s look at the latest evidence. ABC, the body that verifies the print sales and digital users of regional press, shows much to confirm worst fears and depress local advertisers.

Figures for the best performing UK regional dailies in the second half of 2014 actually reveal we’re looking at ‘best losers’! No regional dailies posted a year on year increase in print sales.

Perhaps this will be no great surprise to media watchers. However, worryingly, the decline in sales of our once proud daily titles seems to be accelerating. It’s particularly grim in the North East.

Trinity Mirror could be forgiven for questioning whether they remain in print publishing. They should be very worried about growing print declines – The Journal, Newcastle (-9.2pc), the Teesside Gazette (-11.3pc) and The Chronicle, Newcastle (-11.4pc). The Journal now has an average daily sale of 16,670, with the Gazette on 26, 809 and the Chronicle the largest regional daily on 34, 954.

There’s big falls elsewhere. Johnston Press is in distress with The Sunderland Echo the single biggest faller in the region, down a staggering 16.8pc to a daily average sale of 18,876.

These titles, once pillars of their communities, are now weak imitations of their independent, informative, campaigning ancestors. The Darlington-based Northern Echo remains the outstanding exception (although sales are falling here too – down to 28, 810 per day).

However, in spite of this scenario – there may be signs of hope; indeed, perhaps we should take a quick reality check before we all jump into social media or self-publishing. Clearly these are channels to exploit and companies would be mad not explore and use.

But the press still packs a punch. A daily reach of only 10k or 18k is still a big impact when compared to the effort and investment you might have to make on many digital alternatives to achieve the same impact.

Also, regional newspaper websites are enjoying growth and some success, albeit mixed. Latest ABC figures reveal that nationally the Newcastle Chronicle posted the 2nd highest percentage increase in unique users in the second half of 2014 (with 155, 831 average daily users, up 173pc). This was followed by the Teesside Evening Gazette, whose 116.8pc rise gave it a daily audience of 72, 230.

It seems that people who want good quality local news and entertainment go to trusted news brands.

So, while the print picture looks poor for our regional press, the online future is much brighter. The big problem for publishers is attracting enough digital advertising to recoup losses in print – while also investing in proper journalism that ultimately give the products their value. So for now, advertisers and communicators, should not ignore the regional press. They may yet have an influential role to play in the communications mix.

Wayne Halton is a director at MHW PR, Newcastle; contact him by calling 0191 233 1300 or visit www.mhwpr.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by MHW PR .