The anonymous commenter who suggested last week that this is little more than an anti-Echo blog may well be interested by latest developments on Oldham Hall Street. How-Do last week reported (http://www.how-do.co.uk/north-west-media-news/north-west-publishing/liverpool-journalists-fear-press-association-pilot-200907095837/ ):
"Journalists in Liverpool have reacted angrily to a Press Association plan to cover some court and local authority stories for the Trinity Mirror's Merseyside titles.
"PA's managing director, Tony Watson, revealed details of the pilot scheme to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committe earlier this week, but reporters at Trinity Mirror's titles (Liverpool Echo and Liverpool Daily Post) have been emailing How-Do to say that this was the first they'd heard about it."
"Anonymous" claimed that this blog threatened the jobs of those left at the titles. Aside from the risible notion that a blog could have such an effect, I suggest "Anonymous" write to the Echo to ask why roles hitherto carried out by its own reporters are now to be outsourced to the PA.
Moreover, what's left of the Echo's reputation has taken an irreparable hit with this most recent move.
I'm all in favour of supporting local media. The problem is that both the Post & Echo have ceased to be "local". There is also the indisputable evidence that the local titles, particularly the Echo, have gone progressively downmarket. Don't believe me? Take a look, if you can, at this meretricious piece of saloon-bar opining from local celebrity Pete Price in today's edition: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/2009/07/16/pete-price-put-it-away-jelly-belly-100252-24165433/ .
Time was when this sort of effort wouldn't even have made it on to the editor's desk for approval.
How-Do quotes Watson as saying the reason for the pilot scheme is that "a lack of resources is preventing local papers from covering them."
In other words, Trinity Mirror refuses to allocate money for its own staff to cover local court reports & council meetings. It is Trinity Mirror, not a humble blogger, that should be encouraged to "back the Post and Echo", as "Anonymous" puts it.
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1 comment:
Correspondent I think you are doing a good job and the future is freedom of speach which is not what you get with the local papers who have now descended into a collective merseymart. It always gets me when someone leaves a big tough comment and then signs it "Anonymous". Trinity "Smoking" Mirrors Group no doubt.
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