Your local media matters

Local media remains at the heart of life in towns and villages across the West Country. Pulman's news will remain a key syndication point.

While print formats may well be decreasing, the appetite for news itself, particularly community news, is in huge demand.

Despite the scandals unearthed by the Leveson enquiry, I still believe in the power, for good, of our British press and media.

And remember, the British regional press has been largely untouched by any scandal and remains a core and very reliable source of ethical news. Pulman's News is a brand of enormous repute dating all the way back to its launch in 1857.

Here are just some of the reasons I remain committed to protecting independent press freedom and why I see value in my investment in Pulman's Weekly News Group.

Local media can do these things and more:

It can speak to communities where living standards are high, or where rural, social or economic barriers prevent people accessing vital information and education.

It can also reach people struck by isolation, loneliness and poverty.

It can help build and highlight local businesses.

It can promote the value of men and women, and investigate wrongs or serious abuses.

It can introduce people to new ideas and help strengthen bonds within local communities.

Media can move mountains.

We help communities use it to change lives - and unite our readers through engagement and promotion of your stories.

Stories about your local towns, people and neighbourhood news.

As a West Country man born and bred, it is a privilege to be working with Pulman's Weekly News and steering the brand towards an exciting new era of multi-channel community news reporting.

Duncan Williams, Regional Media Director, Pulman's Weekly News Group Ltd.

LICENSED TO BLOG

"As community blogging becomes more familiar in towns and neighbourhoods across the UK, a standard of blog news creditably could be awarded by local newspapers," says publisher Duncan Williams of Pulman's Weekly News.

"Blogs are great because we all have the chance to have our say. But with so many varieties of views and voices being able to publish on sorts of subjects and reports, regional newspaper editors might be wise to offer local digital certificates, or accredited rosettes, something like the blue ticks on twitter accounts, so as to authenticate credible and reliable sources of news."



PAYING BLOGGERS FOR THEIR CONTENT

Says Duncan: "Our local newspaper brands have established ethical reputations that have, in some cases, spanned over a hundred years or more. With the boom within the digital sphere we know that there is no shortage of content, but clearly professional local news outlets need the right sort of content and would probably be willing to pay grassroots bloggers for it.

"In an age of fake news it's always good to have a news source you can trust.

"Bloggers, Vloggers, Live-streamers and the traditional press must now work together. We seek the quality amongst the quantity."

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Duncan Williams @PulmansView

Crowdfunding bid launched to save axed weekly news series

A media and marketing director has launched a bid to revive a series of weekly newspapers which shut last week with the loss of around 20 jobs.

Duncan Williams, left, has started a crowdfunding campaign following the closure of the ‘View From’ series – which serve towns in Dorset, Devon and Somerset.

The series has ceased publication, resulting in around 20 redundancies, less than six months after the titles were bought by Truro City Football Club chairman Peter Masters in July last year.

The purchase followed his buyout of the Liskeard-based Sunday Independent earlier in 2017.

Duncan is a commercial development consultant with News Group Ltd, and runs Dorset-based marketing service the Poole Post.

He is aiming to raise £85,000 by 3 March to buy the ‘View From’ titles and take them into community ownership.

In a pitch to potential investors on his crowdfunding page, Duncan said: “This is very sad news indeed for Dorset and the south. Local newspapers are the voice of our communities. In this era of ‘fake news’, brands that have over a 100 years of reporting creditably should not be lost. We now have a whole county dominated by American owned media giant Newsquest.

“In addition to Dorset, View News faithfully covered stories in the counties of Somerset and Devon for many years. Highlighting local interest stories and helping to profile small businesses in these areas, View News and Pulman’s Weekly News are trusted and respected brands. Too good to lose.

“We are proposing new community ownership business model. And in doing so we aim to prove to the city banks, venture capitalists and advertising agencies that regional communities value their local media.

“It offers a chance for local people to have a real stake in and to share their views and voices as part of their own local media group.”

The newspapers affected by last week’s closures are the View From titles based in Beaminster, Bridport, Dorchester, Lyme Regis, Weymouth, Seaton, Honiton and South Somerset, and the Pulman’s Weekly News which is based in Axminster.

A spokesman for the Independent said last week: “Having acquired the titles out of administration in July of last year we agreed to continue publishing the loss-making titles for six months in a bid to give continued employment for the staff.

“But in the light of continued falling revenues, we have reluctantly decided that the titles are no longer sustainable.”

Report by David Sharman for Holdthefrontpage.co.uk