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A nature writer who has just lost his weekly newspaper column to cost-cutting has lamented the “slow decline” of local newspapers in an article published on the BBC’s website.
Nicola Chester (left) has written the ‘Nature Notes’ column for her local newspaper, the Newbury Weekly News, for the past 21 years.
However, the biweekly column ended when the paper reportedly could no longer afford to pay her.
Writing on the BBC’s Countryfile website, Mr Nicola said local newspapers were “an important forum for the country’s voice” and the decline of newspapers was an “incalculable loss”.
Nicola wrote: “Our 156-year-old printed newspapers, the Newbury Weekly News and Town Market, remain, but both have shrunk. Like many of our other newspapers, our award-winning local newspaper ‘s print readership (and therefore advertising revenue) is also rapidly declining.
“I have written a column for Nature Notes for the past 20 years, weekly for 13 years and then bi-weekly for eight years. Shared with Andrew Davis.
“After writing 884 articles (and only taking a week off when one of my three children was born), I wrote my final draft. With great regret, the editor decided that the newspaper told me that I could no longer pay.
“Local newspapers, especially regional newspapers, are a mirror and an important service to their communities, and their slow decline is an immeasurable loss.
“Online news, peppered with ever-changing clickbait and distracting advertising, minus the letter pages, interviews, reviews, art, columns and in-depth sports reports delivered from the rain-soaked touchline.
“With fewer journalists and around 90% of local newspapers owned by a small number of publishers, local news can become homogenized by press releases, spin and brevity. Local names are misspelled. local history is misunderstood or ignored, sentiment misrepresented or ignored.
“The demand for quality local journalism remains great and digital news is evolving. But the paper is still the place for me to see what is closest and closest to me. That’s where democracy begins. , otherwise the voice of the country’s silence will be heard.
“And even though I can no longer look directly at myself in that mirror, I had the most incredible run.”
Reacting to Nicola’s article, Newbury Weekly News editor Andy Murrill said: ‘NWN is widely considered to be one of the best weekly newspapers in the UK.
“In 2019, NWN won Best Weekly Newspaper at the Society of Editor’s Regional Press Awards. The following year, we received critical acclaim and were named a finalist in 2021.
“At last year’s News Awards, NWN was shortlisted for UK weekly newspaper of the year and our magazine Out&About was also shortlisted for best regional magazine.
“Nicola Chester wrote the much-loved Nature Notes column in the Newbury Weekly News for many years and remains a good friend of the Newbury Weekly News.
“But like all publishers, we naturally need to manage our cost base, and this means we need to review some of the content we have traditionally paid for in print.
“As with all local newspapers, our circulation has declined due to the impact of the internet, but we are still very healthy in terms of size and modest year-over-year declines in our industry. Our print and online readership is sizeable.
“When it comes to pagination, it hasn’t been around for 20 years as certain advertising platforms have moved to digital, but it has remained constant over the last few years, especially during the lockdown period.
“When Nicola mentions clickbait, I think it’s very unlikely that she’s referring to NWN’s website Newburytoday, because we simply don’t do it.
“In fact, Newburytoday has implemented a paywall strategy and is committed to delivering the same high-quality content online that we have always done in print, in order to get people to pay for it.
“We are delighted that Nicola has recognized the importance of our letters page (at least four pages each week) in setting the local political agenda.
“And she praises the NWN for representing us all with quiet strength and dignity against the insensitivity of the national media” during the 1987 Hungerford tragedy.
“She says, “Newspapers are still the place I go to see what’s nearest and dearest to me. Not just what affects us most, but how to influence it.” Can you give? That is where democracy begins and the voice of silence in a country that is otherwise heard.”
“We are extremely proud of the NWN and the important role we play in the lives of people in West Berkshire.”
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