The Wandsworth Borough News title is to vanish. It is being "merged" with the giveaway Wandsworth Guardian. "That's 123 years of history down the drain," said a former staffer.
He believes that the owners, Newsquest/Gannett, are guilty of closing the title by stealth, arguing that "they're hoping - weirdly - that no-one will notice".
Well, in fairness, there is a message on the website saying: "Did you know Wandsworth Borough News is relaunching as Wandsworth Guardian". It then urges readers to get their news in future from the Guardian's website.
I couldn't elicit any information from the paper itself because Newsquest journalists are positively discouraged from talking to the press. (Many newspaper publishers dislike talking to reporters).
Anyway, I did manage to get confirmation from the Guardian newsdesk that the Borough News is a goner. It is further proof of the increasing difficulty of selling local papers in London's suburbs.
But will frees survive much longer? If the depressed advertising market continues it's hard to see how they can be sustained.
That said, the Southport-based Champion Media Group will launching a new free weekly paper later this month. The Aintree and Maghull Champion will be distributed to around 15,600 homes in the two areas of Merseyside.
The company said the new title should be "welcome news for readers and advertisers alike" after Trinity Mirror's recent closures of satellite offices in the area and reduction in the distribution of its titles.
Champion's managing director, Betty Drummond, told holdthefrontpage:
"In the past year most publishers have responded to declining sales and advertising losses by embarking on extensive cuts and restructuring.
"This has meant not only significant job losses but also reduced advertising opportunities at a time when local businesses really need to reach more potential customers, not less."
Is she correct? I can't imagine the thriving Champion group making a false step. It knows its region well. It is only one example, of course, but it does suggest that one hope for the revival of local newspapers might lie in launches by smaller companies rather than the ailing chains.
