Local news remains important as it examines globalization processes from a local perspective and relates lived experiences. While newspapers face declining revenues, the closure of local papers, and challenges from online migration, local news fulfills important needs for audiences by holding local powers accountable and encouraging participation in local democracy. The BBC's plans for local video websites were scrapped due to concerns about negatively impacting commercial rivals like newspapers. Creating independent local media hubs could revitalize news content for local newspapers and broadcasters while strengthening communities.

1. Your Own Media Consumption
• Where do you get your news from in a typical
week?
• Note down EVERYTHING.
• Now try and rank these from MOST important
to LEAST important to you

2. Local News
To understand the difference between
local and global news.
To be able to relate this to global theory

3. Why is local news still so important to
us?
• McMillin 2007
• The cultural and social implications of global
market strategies are important. We must
examine globalization processes from the
ground, from the level of lived experiences.

4. Papers delighted as corporation scraps
plans to deliver local news on the web
• Mark Sweney and Caitlin Fitzsimmons
• The Guardian, Saturday 22 November 2008
• A controversial plan to create a £68m online video network of more
than 60 local BBC news websites was in effect scrapped yesterday.
• Sir Michael Lyons, chairman of the BBC Trust, told the corporation's
management, led by the director general, Mark Thompson, that it
would be better to concentrate on improving the quality of existing
services.
• In a "public value test" the trust found that the rewards of such a
BBC video network could not justify spending the licence fee funds
or the "negative impact on commercial media". Separate scrutiny of
the plans by the media watchdog Ofcom also found against them,
finding they would have a "significant negative" on commercial
rivals and could cost those businesses 4% of annual revenue.

5. Pressing problems
• While newspapers have seen off the threat of the BBC's £68m local
video websites, their problems remain immense.
• Against a backdrop of falling advertising revenues and economic
downturn, dozens of local papers have closed this year and many
more are vulnerable.
• The BBC's plans were a concern - the Newspaper Society said the
65 proposed sites would have competed with about 100 websites
of some of the UK's best-known papers.
• However, Richard Hitchcock, an analyst at Numis, said publishers
were not as worried about the BBC plan as they were about the
"bigger picture" of a "sustained cyclical consumer downturn on top
of the major structural problems of the online migration of
audiences and advertising".
• Enders Analysis estimates that UK newspaper ad revenues could fall
by up to 21% next year and remain in decline for the "foreseeable
future".

6. Cambridge News and Saffron Walden
Reporter
• Who owns the newspapers?
• Research particular story patterns on both the websites.
• What needs does the local news fulfil? (refer to your
theories and think AUDIENCE)
• What role does the local newspaper provide the local
community? (Ext – is there a difference between that and
BBC/Al Jazeera)
• How do they make money?
• What news do they prioritise over others? (give examples)
• Has the internet been a help or hindrance to them? (give
examples)
• How are the stories presented by the newspaper?

7. Extract from Media Trust
• This solution can only be a positive for the wider media industry: the BBC’s recent
Strategy Review emphasised their commitment to becoming a “catalyst and connector”
within the Public Space. It also spoke of making partnerships the BBC’s “default-setting”
for most new activities. We have long believed the BBC should take positive action to
increase the range of services, viewpoints and engagement accessible to communities
and citizens. Consequently, we believe the BBC could play a vital role in setting up and
resourcing such hubs – especially in mentoring and training staff, and promoting
attachments and secondments. The BBC and the dominant commercial newspaper
groups will all benefit from, in turn, being fed new energised news stories, revitalising
their content through strong local competition.
• The importance of independence cannot be overstated. Media Trust is concerned about
the emergence of Local Authority newspapers and ‘news’ websites. This direct control
of the local news agenda is not only undemocratic but an unsustainable and ineffective
use of taxpayers’ funds. This solution [creation of media hubs] puts local news back
where it belongs: in the hands of local people.
• Along with match funding from local authorities (a small fraction of their current
£450m* spend on communications), from Big Lottery and from local community
foundations, the hubs would provide a new source of dynamic local news content,
freely available to all media. They would drive the vision of the “Big Society”. They
would hold local powers to account – the new GP fund-holders, local authorities,
parent-run schools and post offices – and encourage local participation in decision-
making and democracy. Transparency is meaningless without free and easy access to
information and the means to test, challenge and debate it.

8. Return to your question
• What impact does the increase in global
media have on media production?
• Now come up with some CONTRASTING
points from before using LOCAL NEWS as your
example.

9. Homework
What impact does the increase in global media
have on media production?
Write the essay