Are local newspapers reflecting our changing communities?

national | arts and media | press release

Wednesday August 27, 2008 17:42

by Sarah Clancy - Galway One World Centre

Amnesty International Café on Middle Street Galway at 7pm on Wednesday the 3rd of September

A new booklet detailing the results and analysis of research on the West of Ireland 's local newspapers will be launched by Journalist and Author Michael Mac Caughan on Wednesday the 3rd of September AT 7 PM in the Amnesty Cafe Middle Street Galway.

The booklet is called ‘Changing Perspectives- an exploration of the portrayals of the Majority World in the West of Ireland’s local print media’ and is the work of post graduate students Louise Murphy, Cillian O Kelly, Paul Grealish, and Emily Mc Groder all students from NUIG’s Masters in Philosophy, Ethics and Global Change. The project was devised and supervised by Sarah Clancy of the Galway One World Centre. The booklet details the results of research that surveyed one months output of seventeen of the West of Irelands’ local newspapers.

If you are an immigrant to Ireland from any one of fourteen countries the only acknowledgement of your existence or reflection of your culture in the west of Ireland’s local papers over a period of one whole month was in relation to Irish people’s charity towards your country. If you are from Brazil your country was mentioned most often but in actual fact most of these mentions concerned attempts to ban Brazilian beef. These are just some of the many issues both positive and negative that were highlighted by the project.The finished booklet makes interesting reading and will be available free of charge at the launch or by request from the Galway One World Centre (info at galwayowc.org). Copies of the booklet may also be downloaded from www.galwayowc.org The launch is open to the public, however as space is limited those intending to attend should contact the Galway One World Centre on 091 530590 or info at www.galwayowc.org

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Comments (5 of 5)

Local Newspapers - Come Back, The Skibbereen Eagle

by Fred Johnston

Wed Aug 27, 2008 18:14

My last album was entitled 'Local Papers,' for no other reason than I was confident that newspapers in Galway were hesitant at the time about dealing with the late and un-lamented Salthill Airshow. I think it's fair to say that a critical review of newspapers in the West is overdue; most local newspapers serve the parish and little farther than that, and are concerned with the often dubious elevation of local 'personalities,' political parties, and so on, and basically serve the same role as that once held by the parish priest. There is a deeply-ingrained terror of offending local advertisers; I have read more than once and typically in local Galway papers of, say, a fracas outside a 'city hotel' or some-such, with no mention of the hotel's name. There is no legal reason for this omission, it is purely done on commercial grounds mingled with some regard for the hotel owner whom, no doubt, the editors went to school with. There is no willingness, nor any energy, for real investigative local stories and I would suggest that local reporters are not encouraged towards them. A country newspaper is just that: the wider world is too wide for it.

the local is different now!

by Sarah - N/A

Wed Aug 27, 2008 20:15

I'm not sure its clear from the article fred but the booklet mostly deals with the changes that have taken place and what effect they have had/should have/ could have on our local newspapers coverage of the not -overdeveloped parts of the world given that there are now people from all over living and partcipating in the whole spectrum of activities that make up local life...

input depends on those concerned

by Danny

Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:15

Some points taken about local weekly newspapers. Little information about foreigners, esp third world; local 'personalities' highlighted while 'ordinary' individuals hardly get a look-in; controversy is often avoided.

OK, about immigrant workers and asylum seekers: they often lack English communication skills and are too busy working/surviving to pay attention to self presentation in the local papers. In Sligo, the Blue Dreamcoat theatre organises annual artistic events involving/highlighting asylum seekers and workers and the organisers try hard to publicise in the two local papers + plus a regional free distribution paper. The Sligo Social Service and other organisations occasionally place press handouts about foreigner concerns. The big But is that the foreigners themselves don't seem to take publicity initiatives, and Why is a big question. On controversial issues, local editors traditionally shy away from crusading because of potential damage to advertising revenue. Instead they report manufactured rows about parish pumps involving mainly FF-FG councillors. On 'Area Notes' I should point out that these are generally submitted by designated contacts living in the areas, who are known to many traditional residents but not to recent 'blow-ins'. So newcomers (pc word for blow-ins) should phone editors of local papers and find out the names of the Notes writers.

My observation is that local journalists wait for news to come into the office and there is seldom any aggressive investigative reporting. Farmers and others just buy the local papers for the advertisements and to see whose snapshots appear this week. Publicity for the arts, for environmental and third world development concerns, and for community development initiatives could indeed be enhanced in local papers; but it would depend on more vigorous and subtle input from individuals and groups interested in these concerns. So keep sending in press releases about your concerns.

media reflecting what?

by me

Sat Aug 30, 2008 02:01

why do you think Indimedia exists...

Im glad it does

by Not me - indylover

Sun Aug 31, 2008 00:43

Much as I am a fan, Internet is not for everyone, lots of people don't know the first thing about Indy and everyone reads/skims / cleans their windows with the local papers so if the papers recieve nice friendly criticism and gentle prodding who knows they might go the right direction... maybe we will see worker occupied local newspapers soon??

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Are local newspapers reflecting our changing communities?

Comments (5 of 5)