Memorandum by Johnston Press plc
1. How and why
have the agendas of news providers changed? How has the content
of news programmes and newspapers altered over the years?
1.1 Local newspapers remain a leading channel
for local news, information and advertising although they face
more competition today than ever before. The media channels now
available to even a small community include a variety of niche
print publications, local radio, internet and, in some cases,
TV. Just a few years ago, the only significant and easily accessible
source of local news would have been the local newspaper which
carried a full round-up of all the local events. In recent years,
the local newspaper has been unable to compete with broadcast
media for breaking news, a situation which is now changing with
the development of local newspaper websites.
1.2 In the past few years, the role of the
local newspaper has changed. It is no longer just the paper of
record carrying reactive news. We now have to be more proactive
in our approach to differentiate our offering from other media,
many of which are able to break news ahead of our publication
times. As a result our titles have increased their focus on social
concerns, leisure activities and personal interest stories whilst
providing more background and analysis to news events.
1.3 The amount of relevant local content
available from sources like the emergency services and local schools
has decreased as a direct result of their reaction to recent legislation
such as the Data Protection Act. For instance, the police typically
no longer give information about road accident victims (unless
they die) and so it becomes harder to satisfy the public interest
in such incidents.
1.4 Editors have necessarily become more
acutely aware of the need to present a newspaper which appeals
to readers, especially at the news stand. This is particularly
relevant to the choice and presentation of the main front page
story.
1.5 This approach has been supplemented
by the increased use of reader research and by scrutinising our
website statistics to identify those stories where interest levels
appear to be greatest. In turn, this is influencing newspaper
content, giving the editor more hard facts and evidence upon which
to base decisions. However, the traditional role of the editor
in understanding his or her audience and serving their needs remains.
This of course includes putting before them issues of which they
may have been unaware but are important for the well being of
the community.
1.6 The change in reader habits has also
meant the amount of time they have to read newspapers has diminished
and editors have responded to this by producing shorter, more
focused stories and columns of news briefs.
1.7 In a world where everything, including
news, is instant and rapid there is evidence that readers in established
communities are also looking for grassroots community news in
a way not seen before. Big city newspapers have struggled to match
this aspiration for obvious logistical reasons.
1.8 In part to address this change, Johnston
Press has been active in launching a number of community newsletters
in rural and urban communities. These are very locally focussed
in their content and typically they are currently free pick-up
papers published on a monthly basis. A significant amount of their
content is contributed by readers.
1.9 A great deal of additional content is
carried on our locally focussed websites which are closely linked
to our newspapers.
1.10 To illustrate some of the changes which
have occurred, we have carried out a comparison of content on
a Monday edition of the Northampton Chronicle & Echo
between 20 years ago and today:
— Black/white Broadsheet 24 pp—now
full colour tabloid 36 pp (a tabloid paper is approximately equivalent
to half a broadsheet page);
— National and international news
prominent—now just one page;
— Sport merely a reactive report—now
proactive coverage;
— News includes large number of
minor 999 stories—few today;
— Large amount of TV coverage/listings—less
today;
— Long court story coverage—shorter
today;
— Few reader letters—many
more today plus text/website messages;
— Religious notices among classifieds
(half page)—few today;
— Relatively few pictures (mainly
presentations/Headshots)—many more today covering a much
wider range of material;
— More reports on formal Community
Groups, eg WI—now more general coverage; and
— Council coverage included long
debates from meetings—now reports cover decisions.
2. How is the way that people access the news
changing? The Committee is interested in national and regional
trends and figures for television, radio, newspaper and on-line
news consumption
2.1 Through a combination of print and digital
channels, local newspaper publishers are reaching a larger audience
than ever before. However, in terms of print publications, both
daily and weekly paid-for regional newspapers have seen a decline
in sales in the last five years. The larger daily titles is where
the sales decline has been greatest with a fall of 22%. Weekly
paid-for newspapers have been more robust but have still seen
their sales fall by 3% in the same period.
2.2 There has been a seduction in the frequency
of purchase of newspapers. Although 84% of people within the catchment
area of a typical regional daily newspaper will read it at sometime
within a year, the number of people reading a newspaper six nights-a-week
is only 21% and this has reduced from 25% in 2003.
2.3 There has been a change in print times
and consequently the on-sale time of many traditional "evening"
newspapers. Bolton, York and Coventry are amongst a number of
centres that have made their newspapers available in the morning
at the same time as the National titles. Many of the Johnston
press daily titles have moved their print times forward to maximise
the daily sales window and are typically printed between 9.00
am and 10.00 am.
2.4 Market research on Johnston Press titles
suggests that the average time spent on reading a market leading
paid-for newspaper is 27.5 minutes, down from 33 minutes in 2003.
The principal reasons for this are believed to be the increase
in the number of news and entertainment sources and the greater
range of choice in leisure time pursuits.
2.5 Whilst the overall number of outlets
selling newspapers has increased there has been a decline in the
number of traditional newsagents and outlets offering a home delivery
service. This has dramatically changed the way our newspapers
are sold with intense efforts being made to open new channels
such as garages and supermarkets. Today, 49% of our newspapers
are sold through traditional newsagents, 23% in Supermarkets,
16% at convenience stores and 4% from garage forecourts. Virtually
none of the new outlets provide a home delivery service.
2.6 There has been a significant growth
in the distribution of free daily newspapers with the Metro
distributing over 1.1 million copies everyday across the UK. London
has seen the London Paper (500k copies) London Lite
(410k) and City AM (93k) all launched relatively recently.
In Scotland, Record PM (19.4k copies) and Herald AM
(63k) distribute free copies every day. A long established regional
daily, the Manchester Evening News, has adopted a part
paid part free strategy and is now selling 96,000 copies (down
19.6% on 2006) and distributing a further 70,000 copies free each
day in the centre of Manchester. Johnston Press has launched a
number of free weekly titles to extend the daily paid-for reach
in places such as Leeds, Sheffield and Peterborough.
2.7 Digital television and digital radio
provide 24 hour seven days-a-week news coverage which has significantly
increased the amount and depth of news coverage available. The
growth of the internet, local radio and local TV news has changed
the way people access news with 53% of adults watching TV and
33% listening to local radio to access local news.
2.8 65% of all UK adults have used the Internet
in the last 12 months and 30% of these users are looking at news
sources online on a daily basis. The internet provides on demand
news, blogs and podcasts as well as the opportunity for readers
to contribute their own views and opinions. 50% have broadband
access at home (up from 39% at the start of 2006) which is enabling
greater viewing of video news and clips on PC's and other mobile
devices.
3. How has the process of news gathering changed?
The Committee is interested in the process of news production,
the prioritisation of budgets and the deployment of journalistic
resources
3.1 At Johnston Press, expenditure on editorial
resource has been maintained over the past few years despite financial
pressures. It is the one area of overhead cost to have increased
consistently over the past five years with a CAGR of 3%.
3.2 Production process changes through the
introduction of modem IT systems have enabled journalists to take
control of the entire production process. This has been beneficial
for product quality in terms of text, photographs and layout as
well as journalistic quality. This applies as equally to our websites
as it does to our newspapers and online their involvement now
extends to the gathering, sourcing, editing and display of audio
visual material.
3.3 A fundamental change has occurred in
our newsgathering operations brought about by multi channel opportunities.
In the past our news-desks would create content for the newspaper
and latterly this would have been used on our websites after the
newspaper publication date. Today, even at our weekly newspaper
offices, we are breaking news routinely each day and throughout
the day on our websites. We then follow up the story in-paper
often with more background and complemented by user-generated
comments, pictures and video material. A recent story of a tornado
hitting Peterborough provides an excellent example of this process
in operation as shown in Appendix 1.[1]
We are also encouraging extensive interactivity between our websites
and newspapers. The multi-channel approach is becoming our embedded
publishing method and is being used to complement and extend our
newspaper coverage, allowing us to compete 24/7 with all other
publishers, broadcasters and internet sites.
3.4 Council coverage has changed to reflect
changes in the way Councils themselves operate. Today, there is
much less open debate in Council chambers with more decisions
being taken behind closed doors and the outcome being managed
by Press Officers. Whilst we remain as interested as ever in Council
business, our emphasis has switched from monitoring debates to
finding out how Council policies actually affect real people's
lives.
3.5 Courts have been regionalised and are
more difficult to cover for local newspapers. Reporters used to
be able to spend a day in their "local" court and come
away with a number of stories. Now they are required to sit around
while cases from outside their locality are covered. This has
meant editors are more selective in covering them because of the
consequent increased inefficiency in the use of their resources.
3.6 The increased use of electronic communications
such as fax and email coupled with the appointment of press officers
means that there are fewer opportunities for face-to-face interviews
with people such as council officials and senior policemen. This
has led to reporters becoming more office bound.
3.7 There arc today many more varied sources
of news. Citizen Journalism (in particular submitted photographs),
blogging and other interactivity are now important sources of
news provision and the internet: has become a vital research tool.
None of this though will replace the trained and skilled journalist's
ability to separate fact from fiction and produce trustworthy
reporting. This of course takes considerable investment.
4. What is the impact of the concentration
of media ownership on the balance and diversity of opinion seen
in the news? Does ownership have an impact on editorial priorities
and on news values such as fairness, accuracy and impartiality?
4.1 Johnston Press has been a leading consolidator
of local and regional newspapers in the UK for some years and
is now the third largest publisher with 318 titles. As a leading
owner, Johnston Press is acutely aware of the vital importance
of publishing newspapers which appeal to the local communities
they serve and which address local concerns and aspirations in
a manner that reflects local interests. As such, Johnston Press
has developed a comprehensive set of guidelines and structures
which safeguard and encourage editorial independence and the diversity
of views. At Johnston Press, we believe that consolidation in
our sector has had a positive impact on editorial values and standards,
thereby acting in the public interest.
4.2 The Johnston Press Editorial Policy
Guideline is set out in Appendix 2[2]
and enshrines the central importance of editorial independence
and the avoidance of sustained political bias other than in a
small number of the Group's titles where that is the historical
reflection of the community they serve, for example, the News
Letter in Northern Ireland. The terms of reference for the Johnston
Press Editorial Review Group which acts as the guardian of the
Group's editorial policies and standards can be seen in Appendix
3.[3]
The Review Group comprises a number of editors from around the
Group and is chaired by one of them. There is one management representative
who has an editorial background.
4.3 The Group places particular emphasis
on the process of appointing new editors and our policy for that
is set out in Appendix 4.[4]
It requires that an editorial representative from the Editorial
Review Group be involved throughout the process.
4.4 We also have a policy guideline which
enshrines the right of editorial freedom and sets out a procedure
for dealing with any related disputes. This is shown in Appendix
5.[5]
4.5 Illustrating this freedom, titles with
similar geographic boundaries are entirely free to take a different
stance on any news item. A number of examples are included in
Appendix 6.[6]
4.6 This freedom extends to situations where
the editorial line may not necessarily coincide with the commercial
interests of the business. There have been a number of occasions
when advertising has been lost as a direct result of our editorial
approach and in all such cases the right of the editor to edit
has been upheld. Examples are shown in Appendix 7.[7]
4.7 The vast majority of our titles campaign
vigorously on issues of public concern taking the stance which
best reflects the broad public interest without being influenced
by political considerations.
4.8 The PCC's Code of Practice is reflected
in the Group's editorial policy as seen in Appendix 4.[8]
It is also specifically included in journalists' contracts of
employment and an extract of the relevant clause from a typical
contract is included at Appendix 8. Appendix 9[9]
provides a copy of a similar notification which is given to each
editor on appointment to draw their attention to their responsibilities
under the law and the PCC's code of Practice. The Group's Code
of Ethics which is made available to all employees is shown in
appendix 10[10]
and as highlighted in item 4, emphasises our approach to content
and communities.
4.9 All of our titles have a policy of correcting
mistakes immediately they become aware of them (unless there are
legal reasons not to do so).
4.10 Typically, our newspapers carry a panel
which contains the name (and sometimes the picture) of the editor
and an explanation on how to make a complaint and the fact we
abide by the PCC's Code of Practice. Our editors are also encouraged
to state where any correction (if needed) would be published and
such corrections are often printed in the same place as the original
article. Where a complaint is upheld by the PCC, we comply with
whatever remedies they require.
5. How should the public interest be protected
and defined in terms of news provision? Are the public interest
considerations set down for Ofcom in the Communications Act 2003
enough to ensure a plurality of debating voices in the UK news
media?
5.1 Industry self-regulation through the
PCC is recognised as a successful model, most recently in a report
following Hearings by the House of Commons Culture, Media and
Sports Committee. The PCC provides a free, fair and fast means
of dealing with complaints against newspapers and enjoys industry-wide
support. Its performance demonstrates considerable success in
defending the public interest which would be best served by continued
support for industry self-regulation.
5.2 The fragmentation of the media and growth
of the internet is increasing plurality and diversity. This is
occurring without any Government intervention and in the public
interest should be left to flourish. The circumstances for this
to occur have never been better with barriers to entry, whether
for publishing newspapers or establishing websites, at a historic
low.
5.3 Local news remains a vital component in
the media mix and the regional press invests an unparalleled amount
in local journalism. This is funded by advertising revenues which,
in turn, are under increasing threat from other media, most notably
the internet, none of which invest anything in local newsgathering.
Industry consolidation has enabled efficiencies to be achieved
in the production and administrative processes which, in turn,
has resulted in a stronger industry, more able to survive the
competitive challenges whilst maintaining its heavy investment
in local journalism. This should be recognised by the Competition
Authorities which have hitherto tended to take a very narrow,
restrictive and unrealistic view of market definition which has,
in turn, impeded the process of consolidation.
5.4 Politicians generally express appreciation
for the value and contribution of local newspapers. As noted above,
the health of our industry and the quality of local newsgathering
and reporting depends fundamentally on advertising revenues. For
this reason alone, but also for more important social reasons,
the Government should continue to utilise the local press to carry
relevant advertising. Whilst Government must clearly aim to maximise
value for money, exclusive reliance on their own websites would
deprive a large segment of the population from access to such
advertising. Local newspapers meet a vital community need by providing
universal access and the Government's advertising strategy should
recognise this.
5.5 Local Authorities and Councils should
be dissuaded from becoming publishers in their own right. Many
distribute their own free newspapers with advertising support
and some plan to launch their own broadband TV service. These
activities are unlikely to be financially viable and risk distorting
local media markets to the detriment of local newspaper businesses
as well as imposing unnecessary costs on council tax payers and
local businesses.
5.6 To safeguard the health of the regional
press, it is vital that a level playing field operates in local
media markets. This is jeopardised by the expansionary plans of
the BBC which enjoys the unique advantage of guaranteed inflation-proof,
funding. The BBC should not be allowed to launch new services
which compete in markets already well served by established commercial
players. There is no clear evidence to suggest that there is an
unfulfilled public need requiring the BBC to launch ultra-local
TV services. If they are permitted to do so, commercial enterprises
will undoubtedly be deterred from investing in such local services.
The BBC's Where I Live sites are already attracting a huge
audience to the detriment of local newspaper websites. And, it
seems obvious that the BBC should not be involved in local magazine
publishing, which is already well served by the regional press
and others.
24 August 2007
1 Please refer to www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/communications/wehlcommunications.cfm Back
2
Ibid. Back
3
Ibid. Back
4
Ibid. Back
5
Ibid. Back
6
Ibid. Back
7
Ibid. Back
8
Ibid. Back
9
Ibid. Back
10
Ibid. Back
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