While browsing online for local publications in my area, I stumbled upon an interesting article courtesy of the Press Gazette, about the future of local journalism. The article argues that rather than looking towards the national press, journalists should consider writing locally, as there is a decent income to be made by taking advantage of niches in the local media.
Many budding journalists I've met set their sights on writing for one of the top broadsheet newspapers or high end glossy magazines and view local publications merely as the first rung of the long journalism ladder. And while the path from regional to national press may be well trodden by successful and established journalists, a huge proportion of journalists make a career out of local journalism. So are young, ambitious journalists like myself, missing a trick in our haste to blow past local journalism?
For the past few weeks, I've had a taste of local journalism myself as I've been writing for a local publication based in north London, EN magazine. As a means of expanding my portfolio it's great; my pitches get responses, my features are granted pride of place and most importantly, I'm given a byline. I've even been invited to guest edit a future issue, an invaluable opportunity to gain some practical editing experience. An opportunity like this simply wouldn't be available to me on a larger publication and it will surely enhance my skills as well as my CV.
But while this foray into the local press has been great experience for me, it has been well reported that local media on the whole is suffering. Last week's regional ABC figures show a continuation of the trend for declining circulation figures, despite many titles having increased their cover price.
But, as I've been discovering, there is so much more to local journalism than the regional print publications. And further to contributing to these titles, there are opportunities for independent and even entrepreneurial success by striking out on your own. So to return to the article in the Press Gazette, Dominic Ponsford declares that while the national media has developed an extensive online network, this success has yet to be mirrored in the local press. While websites for the local newspapers have frequently been set up, few have taken off to the extent that national newspapers online versions have. As a result, it seems that there is great potential for journalists and citizen journalists to develop their own community websites, which are — to use the buzzword — hyperlocal; small-as-a-single-post-code local. The XCity website proposes that such websites might just be the saviour of the local press.
While the concept of patch reporting is no new phenomenon, setting up a blog or news website on local issues can provide a great platform for journalists to become noticed locally and nationally and can even feasibly earn them a living. Journalist Adam Westbrook provides some great tips on his journalism.co.uk blogpost, on how setting up a hyperlocal website can be profitable.
And further to getting noticed locally, hyperlocal blogging could also provide you with you with the links needed to break into the national media. The Guardian's own community web project is testament to this trend. New for 2010, the community initiative Guardian Local uses beat bloggers to cover news and events in their home cities. These full time blogging roles, for the cities of Edinburgh, Cardiff and Leeds have provided three journalists with a platform which links local journalism to the national media. And in turn, these journalists are using their platform to promote the efforts of their fellow local bloggers.
Inevitably writing for a national audience is an attractive option in terms of earning potential and career prospects but the media is a very city-centric industry and I think the fact that there are increasing opportunities locally bodes well for budding journalists. In addition to the work I've been doing for EN magazine, I've also been writing for a local online community network, the content of which is based exclusively on my postcode I hope that this will demonstrate to potential employers that I am not only capable of working locally, but will not rule it out as a career option.
