As reported by the Newspaper Society: Giving the chairman’s half yearly statement at a conference for senior Tindle managers on Wednesday, Sir Ray spoke of his belief that forecasts of the early demise of the industry were mistaken and demand for local news and information across multiple platforms remained high.
Sir Ray said: “The UK has about 1000 local weeklies, firmly entrenched in the communities they serve and providing for the traders in their towns easily the most effective and most respected means of reaching their potential customers without covering areas from which no one travels to their shops.
“We are now totally convinced of the almost complete return of the local press to full viability and to its vital role in the many communities it serves.”
The conference in Tonbridge was attended by senior managers from across Tindle. Presentations included Lynne Anderson, NS communications and marketing director, and NS head of marketing Justin Fenton, who spoke about industry trends, latest research and NS initiatives in the marketing area.
Sir Ray continued: “As well as the loss of some national advertising, much of which will return as advertisers remember the genuine pulling power of local papers, we naturally lost some job advertisements as did everyone else during the worst of this recession. Those job ads are now beginning to return as are property advertisements.
“The Farnham Herald’s property section this last quarter achieved 80 pages one week in April and has published seven 72’s since. This is the best I’ve seen since I joined the local press after leaving the Army at the end of the Second World War.
“Circulation has fallen as it has in much of the newspaper industry but readership has increased through showing our papers on the internet, and also wherever we have launched a new local title. Our papers are still leaders in our own towns and are still the best way for our traders to reach their potential customers – and that’s what matters."
In his statement, Sir Ray listed key achievements for Tindle Newspaper in the last six months which included:
* Launching two weekly newspapers, making 19 since the recession.
* Purchasing five more local titles making 21 bought in the last five years.
* Starting plans for another new local weekly.
* Increasing the holding of Johnston Press shares to over 200 million.
* Property, situations vacant and local revenue generally are increasing showing the return of advertisers’ confidence in the local press.
* Profits, already above 2013, beginning the “long climb back.”
Sir Ray continued: “Make no mistake about it, the local paper’s place in this country is well entrenched. Forecasts of the early demise of some of us were certainly mistaken. The public still want their “local” and most people will still want it in its present printed form though some may prefer to read it on I pads or whatever.
“In my 65 active years in local papers (I am almost 88) I have seen the arrival of a great deal of marvellous new technology which has changed much of our lives. It has not, however, changed the need for the publishing and dissemination of local news in depth and detail. Of course we have to fight for our position in the field. We had to fight other media – radio, local TV and so on. We had to survive half a dozen recessions. The whole press is currently fighting the politicians for the maintenance of a free press.”
