She was outspoken in her condemnation of ‘taxpayer funded media’ and promised that a Conservative Government would tighten the Local Authority Publicity Code so that any council output was focused on council services and did not compete with the independent local media.

She said previous changes to the Publicity Code had “opened the floodgates” in terms of competitive council media. “We have even seen taxpayer-subsidised local TV,” she said.

She noted that £430 million was spent on council publicity – twice the figure from 1997.

The Conservatives would require councils “to publish online exactly what they were spending on their publications” with a full breakdown of print costs, design and delivery, and editorial.

She also agreed that public notices, such as planning notices, must continue to appear in the independent free press.

• Tories would force town halls to disclose full cost of council newspapers (Media Guardian)
• NS Calls for Government Intervention on Competing Council Newspapers:

Announcing the change, Justice Secretary Jack Straw said that it was particularly important for “protecting the future of our regional media, which have small budgets but play a large role in our democracy”.

Whilst this was a swift solution to an immediate problem, highlighted by the Whittingdale Committee, Jackson review and Science and Technology Committee, he would be  considering the further measures which they had recommended.

• Success fees in defamation cases reduced

For further information please contact Santha Rasaiah on 020 7632 7461 or e-mail santha_rasaiah@newspapersoc.org.uk.

“Whilst the severity of the economic downturn experienced during 2009 impacted group revenues, the resilience of our brands and commitment of our staff ensured that we delivered profits ahead of expectations,” said chief executive Sly Bailey.

There had been an improvement in advertising revenue trends as the year progressed which was expected to continue into 2010.

• Trinity Mirror’s Preliminary Results for the 53 weeks ended 3 January 2010
• This is Money: Trinity Mirror Up
• Sharecast.com: Trinity Mirror Sees Advertising Improvement

Among the proposals in the 64-page report is: “Never more local: undertaking not to launch services more local than at present in England.” The reports says that the BBC’s local websites “will be refocused to carry only news, sport, weather, travel and local knowledge content. A new ‘contract for local’ will define a series of BBC commitments and limits, including a commitment to never becoming any more local in England – that is, never to increase the BBC’s number of local services on television, radio and online or to make any existing services more local.”

It says the BBC will limit activity by “leaving room for local newspapers and others to develop in a digital world by keeping the BBC’s current pattern of local services, and not launching new services in England at any more local a level than today.” It points to clearer BBC behaviour by “taking a precautionary approach to market impact, within existing as well as proposed new services.”

The NS said: “In view of past experiences, the industry will need to be convinced that any limitations will be imposed or will work in practice, enabling local newspapers to develop their digital services.”

The BBC Executive’s proposals are currently subject to a 12-week public consultation which will be completed before the BBC Trust publishes its final conclusions on the review.

The proposals will be discussed at a meeting of NS members later today (Thursday).

• BBC strategy review
• BBC Local background & submissions
• Independent: This is not the revolution that the BBC needs

For more information please contact Lynne Anderson on 020 7632 7421 or email lynne_anderson@newspapersoc.org.uk.

• Digital Economy Minister, Stephen Timms follows up on meetings on 24 February on local authority publications.

• Whittingdale Report on Press Standards Privacy and Libel published and considered by PressBOF and the industry.

• NS meetings with the PCC, ABC, British Library, and Newspaper Licensing Agency and NCTJ.

• NS at industry meeting with Ed Vaizey, Shadow Culture Minister on 1 March.

• NS PERA Committee meets on 4 March with lunch for Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Caroline Spelman.

• NS Board meeting on 11 March.

• Local Newspaper Week (10 – 16 May) plans launched with ‘Your Voice’ theme.

• NS Marketing Recruitment Research rolled out to publishing centres throughout the UK.

• NS Marketing presentations to agencies as part of local media insight programme on 26 February.

For further information please see the NS website www.newspapersoc.org.uk.

Its recommendations recognised the need to counter the chilling effect of the UK’s libel laws, not least upon the regional press, and to consider reform of cfas, the burden of proof, limitation period for internet claims, defences and discouragement of libel tourism. It welcomed the Lord Chancellor’s establishment of a working group on libel to consider wider reforms, which includes newspaper editors and in-house lawyers. It also recommended that the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice act on concerns regarding injunctions for privacy and breach of confidence.

The Committee remained supportive of self-regulation for the press, although recommending changes to the Press Complaints Commission Code such as pre-notification of stories and introduction of PCC sanctions such as fines and suspension of publication, which the industry has always opposed. The PCC is currently conducting a governance review and will consider the Committee’s views.

• PCC press release
• Culture Media and Sport Committee Full Report

For further information please contact Santha Rasaiah on 020 7632 7461 or e-mail santha_rasaiah@newspapersoc.org.uk.

Richmondshire District Council councillors took the decision to scrap The Curlew last week, the Northern Echo reported.

Conservative council leader Fleur Butler said: “The Curlew was seen as a luxury we can’t really afford any more.

“We need to communicate and talk to people in the district, but there was no proof that anyone was reading it.

“When you start looking at savings you look at what is effective and what is not working and it was felt that we need a better way than just putting it in a generic spreadsheet.”

Scrapping the twice-yearly paper will save the council £11,500 a year in printing and delivery costs, with the expected savings in staff hours still to be worked out.

Councillor Stuart Parsons, a Liberal Democrat, who originally proposed The Curlew’s abolition, said: “The lack of debate about getting rid of The Curlew says it all. It was a pointless exercise and a waste of time, energy, paper and, unfortunately, taxpayers’ money.”

For further information please contact Paul Sinker on 020 763 274 24 or sinkerp@newspapersoc.org.uk.

The initiative was launched by the NS to enable media agency planners and strategists with less than three years’ experience to visit local media publishing centres across the UK.

Aimed at a more senior level, the Manchester session at MEN Media is the 14th session run by NS Marketing.

Guests will include trade journalists from magazines Campaign and Marketing, strategy heads from leading agencies, and a COI client. They will be accompanied by NS marketing director Robert Ray and head of research and insight Keith Donaldson.

Agencies and advertisers meet editorial teams to learn about developments in local media and how the medium is extending its unrivalled reach into communities across the UK in print and digital.

Other UK towns and cities to have been visited include Belfast, Bristol, Cambridge, Canterbury, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Plymouth, Southampton and York.

Robert Ray said: “The wanted ads experience has been a great initiative and one which gets London-based folk into Britain’s regions to see first hand the real strength of local media.”

For further information contact Robert Ray on 020 7693 0413 or email robert_ray@newspapersoc.org.uk.

The charity is calling upon local newspapers across the UK to enter the Friends of the Forces Awards which celebrates people or organisations which have contributed to the well-being or appreciation of the Armed Forces.

Local newspapers activities with the military have included sending correspondents to war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan to report on the activities of local troops and organising homecoming parades for soldiers returning from conflicts.

A spokeswoman for the Royal British Legion said: “The Royal British Legion has just launched a new national awards scheme, with support from Prince Harry, to find members of the public or organisations that go out of their way to support the British Armed Forces.

“We are aware of many local newspapers who mount campaigns and rally local support for the Armed Forces and we would like to encourage them to put forward nominations.”

For details on how to apply to the Friends of the Forces Awards click here.

For further information please contact Paul Sinker at 020 763 274 24 or sinkerp@newspapersoc.org.uk.

Mr Walsh has 34 years of experience in advertising and brand marketing and is currently a director of advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather South Africa and of Ogilvy & Mather Africa Inc and a non-executive of global brand identity and design company, The Brand Union.

Formerly a main board director of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide for 16 years, he was also, for 12 years, chief executive of their Europe, Middle East and African operations.

He is also vice president of business development for Velti Plc, the world’s largest mobile marketing company, helping them build their capability in the brand marketing and agency sector.

For further information please contact Paul Sinker on 020 763 274 24 or sinkerp@newspapersoc.org.uk.