Local Newspapers simply Council propaganda sheets?

I imagine the majority would agree that Y Cnefiwr is one of the best blogs coming from Wales and residents of Carmarthen it seems who wish to know what is happening in their County should turn to it to get an insightful annalist,  Particularly as it now seems that the Carmarthen Journal has failed to report  as he states in his latest blog that ...

"whole string of important local news stories not being reported by the paper. What these stories have in common is that they don't show the County Council in a good light".

This has led to YCnefiwr and fellow blogger to join together and write an open  letter to the Carmarthen Journal which you can see on journal Caebrwyn blog.

Sadly this a problem that is increasing in local newspapers throughout Wales. With local Newspapers desperate for advertisements looking to their local authorities to supply them withs the major source of income via advertising.

This leads Councils to adopt the "Who pays the piper calls the tune"principal . Threatening Editors that they will withdraw advertising revenue if they report the council negatively.

This is relationship ironically is likely to increase,  with Eric Pickles war on "Pravda on the Rates", an attack on the Local Government Free Newspapers which for many (and all parties are guilty of this to various degrees) often seem like propaganda sheets telling us how good their council are not simply telling us what they are doing and providing us with facts on expenditure .

These often expensive glossy freesheets were in themselves  was a threat to Local Newspaper revenues: But if Pickles is successful in ending these sheets Councils (as some already have) will simply  reproduce their "We are great" freeheets in the local Newspaper"  Providing the Editor (who has few staff )with Advertising and Council information  that they will simply reproduce and  print without comment and quietly the Council will threateni that this vital revenue (which the paper may close without) can be withdrawn if any negative reports are published.

In the past Local Newspaper have been at forefront in exposing wrongdoings and even corruption on the Local Council but increasingly they have been forced to simply reproduce Council statements and even censure their letters page if a resident has the nerve to question council policy.

We seem to entering an era where the only true information we can get on what our councils is up to are from Blogs like YCnefiwr and  Caebrwyn and the latter has been the subject of legal harassment from the council.

Perhaps the only real solution is for all of us to start buying newspapers again making them less dependent on the Councils money but then who wants read about Council Leader X opening a new council office and not that he voted to close your local swimming pool.

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