Weekly, not weakly — and other reasons to be cheerful about community journalism
In an era of 24-hour news and social networks making it possible to share special moments in, well, moments, the idea of waiting once a week to get your local news can seem a little, well, old-fashioned.
Yet weekly newspapers up and down the UK continue to sell or distribute more than 1.5m copies a week — and that’s just the titles which are registered with the Audit Bureau of Circulations, which publishes its data twice a year.
At the Regional Press Awards later this month, the News Brand of the Year (Small) shortlist is dominated by weekly newspapers — each with their own story to tell.
Among them is the Cambrian News, a paper which is quick to dispel the idea that you get a softer ride when working with a weekly newspaper.
Writing about their newspaper, they said: “There are no sacred cows, no group or organisation, no government body that it will not challenge with its commitment to telling what happened and getting it right. It holds those in positions of authority to account.
“Each week, the small news team at Cambrian News goes behind the news, providing our loyal audience in print and online with unbridled coverage of local events. Yes, we do the small. But we take on the big, challenging government bodies and those in positions of regulatory power and authority.”
The Tindle-owned title covers 25 per cent of rural Wales, with a circulation of more than 8,000 and an online weekly audience of 120k.
They said: “Every person in mid Wales has a story to tell. All are affected by poor water quality, substandard roads, a lack of public transport, and local councils that are struggling to provide levels of service for their taxpayers. And yes, we challenge our councils over how and why money is spent. We shine a light into the dark corners of bureaucratic waste and administrative malfeasance.
“It is comfortable to be mundane and listless. We choose not to take an easy path. The Cambrian News is committed to being the best it can be, by holding firm to the values of community and local journalism, putting our readers and their interests first. Cambrian News is a weekly, not a weakly.”
In November, the Cambrian News won weekly newspaper of the year at the Wales Media Awards. Perhaps of greater importance was the news which followed in December — that Ceredigion Council had SEVEN complaints about the News rejected by independent press regulator IPSO.
Editor Mick O’Reilly said: “If this was an attempt to silence or thwart us, it failed. Miserably.
“We will continue to report as we do. Expect more of the same. And more.”
The letters pages that tell you all you need to know
A similar spirit courses through the pages of the Camden New Journal — a fiercely independent free weekly which has bucked many trends over the years.
When asked to point out why it’s still relevant, its team point to the popularity of its letters page.
In its entry to the Regional Press Awards, the CNJ team wrote: “Perhaps the best signal of the engagement is the four to five pages of readers’ letters we publish every week.
“Stats from Camden Council show we reach more than one in every two people in the borough, which is why we still attract a healthy advertising and sponsorship income.”
And in a statement which will resonate with many passionate about local journalism, the New Journal added: “The independent Camden New Journal is fiercely resisting the idea that local newspapers are on the way out by doubling down on our campaigning, investigative journalism.
“We remain committed to the idea that if costs must be cut, this must not mean the loss of reporters and we retain a thriving newsroom in the heart of our community.”
Court cases, council coverage and attending inquests remain an essential part of the New Journal’s work, along with a determination to play an active part in the community.
They added: “This can be illustrated in many ways but perhaps best with our work organising a funeral service for a homeless woman who froze to death on the streets. She had no family, so, with a community in shock, we stepped in and held the service in a local church. It brought everybody together for reflection.
“We have also organised our own ‘London COP’ conference, which was a day of free climate talks that helped simplify this often frightening topic for residents.”
Other highlights include campaigning for those hit by HS2 disruption and publishing special editions focusing on the Windrush celebrations, LGBT+ history and International Women’s Day.
Turning to video to get a new generation to tune in
In Northern Ireland, the Ulster Herald has kept readers in Omagh up to date for 120 years. And with a determination to keep doing so into the future, it has set out to reach new audiences.
In 2021, The Herald, along with sister titles in the region, launched WeAreTyrone, with an aim of providing digital revenue for content — and reaching younger audiences too.
In its entry for the Regional Press Awards, the team said: “The ‘WeAreTyrone’ brand ensures that the UlsterHerald and associated publications are staying relevant to younger generations in Tyrone who get their news from their mobile phones rather than in print.
“According to the latest published figures, ‘WeAreTyrone’ has around 53,000 Facebook followers, 530,000 monthly web views and 52,000 weekly print readers.”
Video, too, is becoming an increasingly important part of the Herald’s work, including a 35-minute documentary reflecting the 25th anniversary of the Omagh bombing.
The Herald’s entry added: “This was a massive departure from our traditional ‘print’ approach, and for a team that is only starting to find its feet in terms of broadcast output, we were extremely pleased with how it turned out.
“In fact, we have really advanced our digital/broadcast output over the past 12 months. We now aim for 2–3 video features each week and these often complement our print approach — presenting the same story in different formats.”
Reinventing print was also a crucial part of 2023, relaunching its paper in early March — on arguably the biggest news week of the year, following the shooting of senior detective John Caldwell.
A headline you rarely see: A newspaper with a growing circulation
The Cambridge Independent, launched in 2016 and no stranger to awards wins. It has a boast in its entry this year which catches the eye — circulation growth.
“The Cambridge Independent is proud to have recorded a year-on-year newspaper sales increase almost every week in the current financial year — at the same time as recording significant growth in our digital audience, and growing our digital subscriptions,” said the paper, part of the Iliffe Media stable of titles. But how?
“We believe our approach of focusing on high quality, original and entirely locally-sourced and written content, with expert design and superb photography, makes our newspaper a must-read for the community,” the entry adds.
Highlights of 2023 for the Independent include reporting the debate surrounding a congestion charge for Cambridge, with the title credited for revealing the scheme had been ditched, despite £4.7m being spent on plans for it.
The title also boasts being active in the community, with awards events covering science and technology, small businesses and, since last year, photography. It also brought a new spin to some weekly newspaper staples, shooting Year Six school leavers photos using a drone.
Making national waves with a print-only approach
Making sure you’re at the heart of your community’s talking points sits at the centre of the Oxford Times’ mission — one which paid off with story after story having a national impact in 2023.
The Oxford Times boasts being a print-only weekly, and one which is one of publisher Newsquest’s best sales performers too. And with weekly pagination of between 80 and 96 pages, it remains a title with plenty in it for readers every week.
The entry said: “The Times has also thrived this year with hard-hitting scoops.
“Investigations have included uncovering the true scale of A&E waiting times, the impact of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods on 999 response times and the hidden costs of some of the council’s hugely controversial transport overhaul schemes.
“The Times team prides itself on exclusive content — from news stories investigated and uncovered to celebrity interviews being regularly featured. Some of the biggest stories this year have included news of major housing developments, exclusives on school staffing crises and the fallout — which sparked UK-wide interest — from Professor Kathleen Stock speaking at the Oxford Union.”
- The South Wales Echo, the Cardiff-based daily newspaper, and investigative site The Detail in Northern Ireland, completed the shortlist for this category at the Regional Press Awards. The Awards will be held in central London on April 16. Tickets can be purchased here.
