Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
National investigation "How much local council coverage is there in your local newspaper?"
The story of the demise of traditional local media is well known. It excites a variety of views. Internet commentator, Clay Shirky, is one of many voices fearing that the loss of the voice of local journalists in holding local politicians and councils to account will put our local democracies in grave danger. Others, as Liz's post yesterday showed, think this role of local journalism is only a distant memory.
In an effort to put some facts behind the argument one way or another, The Guardian's go-to-person on localism, Sarah Hartley, is working with those wonderful folk at Help Me Investigate to work out exactly how much coverage there is on councils in our local papers. If you'd like to help by providing an analysis of Harringay's local papers, then here's your chance to chip in to a grand projet.
In an effort to put some facts behind the argument one way or another, The Guardian's go-to-person on localism, Sarah Hartley, is working with those wonderful folk at Help Me Investigate to work out exactly how much coverage there is on councils in our local papers. If you'd like to help by providing an analysis of Harringay's local papers, then here's your chance to chip in to a grand projet.
Tags for Forum Posts: local newspapers
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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Clay Shirky did an interesting break down of his local paper in the US (where local papers are much more widely read, it seemed to me) and discovered just how little 'real' news gathered by local journalists there actually was. Read how he did it here (its very readable - just like most things Shirky writes).
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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YouTube video link to a talk by Shirky on this topic.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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This is a great primer on this issue Alan. I used part of this in a presentation a couple of weeks ago. I find him very watchable and equally readable.
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Yet Shirky talk of the inevitability of our going through a trough of democratic decline because of the disappearance of local newspapers. He believes their role in holding local politicians accountable, at least in the US, is critical.
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I agree with him that making local politicians accountable is important (even more so in the US where just about everyone from the head of the cleaning dept to the local senator is elected). However, my experience of our local papers is that they often take council press releases, get a couple of quotes tacked onto them and put a picture provided by the council next to them. To be honest, as we know, anyone can do that.
I'm still waiting for the big exposes. Maybe we'll see HJ/HA reporters down at the Arena this weekend? With paid photographers? Maybe investigating the claims of Haley about sorting it out? Maybe asking the retailers how they feel? I doubt it quite simply because they don't have the resources to do it. Easier to set a google alert for Haringey, phone a few people when a story comes in and write it up from the comfort of their office in Camden, when you are the only person covering the whole borough.
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It's important to make the distinction between investigative journalism and accountability journalism. Leaving Haringey papers aside fro the moment, many local papers engage in the thankless task of sending reporters along to council meetings etc. That activity and other low-level ones like it form an important role in holding our local politicians to account. It's not necessarily the set-piece Watergate reportage that's been making the difference. If we transition to a more hyperlocal-based media we'd do well to remember that.
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Using our new Council Watch Feature, I picked a committee at random and was surprised to read that Hampstead and Highgate Express, Haringey Independent and Hornsey and Crouch End Journal are expected to attend.
That's the sort of thing I was referring to above.
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