The Observer Newspapers group has announced that it is to cease publication of:
Armagh Observer
Armagh Down Observer
Ballymena Chronicle
Democrat
Dundalk Advertiser
Dungannon Observer
Fermanagh News
Lurgan and Portadown Examiner
Mid-Ulster Observer
Newry Advertiser
Ulster Farmer
These publications had retained the large newsprint format and were characterised by their abundance of photographs of locals and reporting of GAA sports, local events and all sorts of personal events from funerals to birthdays. Always carrying plenty of adverts.
Thursdays won't be the same again!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-39576420?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_news_ni&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=northern_ireland (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-39576420?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_news_ni&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=northern_ireland)
Read about that yesterday and was surprised, maybe there'd been talk of it and I've missed it but it appeared to come out of the blue (while realising that print media is fucked longterm).
The Armagh Observer (& Ulster Gazette) were weekly staples in our house growing up, great for local GAA - and the only real source for underage GAA, they should've knew they were bucked when my Ma stopped buying it a few years ago.
That is a big loss. We need better solutions for local media.
Never much in these papers apart from GAA notes,photos of dinner dances and ads for country music and dances
I find local papers great. The Nenagh Guardian is a brilliant resource for local GAA and events. It'll be a sad day when the local papers go extinct.
Used to be a big deal if you went to Scor and got your photo taken in the audience. You knew you'd be in the paper on Thursday! The young ones would get excited when they saw your man Isodore (sp?) coming in with the camera.
£1.30 a go ..maybe something to do with there fall in circulation
Is the Tyrone Democrat still on the go?
Quote from: ONeill on April 12, 2017, 09:57:57 PM
Is the Tyrone Democrat still on the go?
On the list there for the chop ONeill. Loved the democrat and its football coverage. Used to the same 3 players to watch for a club team for the past 20 years. Sad day for the local press.
Cut my teeth for them, reporting on Dungannon Swifts. Even bought a dictaphone in the 'Island.
Quote from: ONeill on April 12, 2017, 10:05:04 PM
Cut my teeth for them, reporting on Dungannon Swifts. Even bought a dictaphone in the 'Island.
That was on the very cutting edge of technology back then, surprised they had reached so far into East Tyrone.
When I told the shopkeeper that I had to use my dictaphone he asked why I didn't use my fingers like everyone else.
Mid Ulster Observer was extremely out dated and it sports coverage is blown out of the water by the Derry Post.
They had to move with the times and they didn't. The Newspaper had the same layout since I was a teenager and as far as I could see no web or Social Media presence I don't know how they expected to make money without keeping up with the times!
Quote from: screenexile on April 12, 2017, 10:43:36 PM
Mid Ulster Observer was extremely out dated and it sports coverage is blown out of the water by the Derry Post.
They had to move with the times and they didn't. The Newspaper had the same layout since I was a teenager and as far as I could see no web or Social Media presence I don't know how they expected to make money without keeping up with the times!
That was the problem, the business model was built on providing a photographic edition to attract the buyers wanting to see themselves or others they knew and then adding on the advertising on the basis of the sales. With social media the photographic record of events even more mundane than those found in the Observer was made available to everyone and everyone could add to it. No more need for the Observer, sales fall, advertising has to become cheaper and the end arrives.
There must be an unbelievable archive of photographic material dating back for over 70 years recording the social history of provincial towns in the Observer Newspaper group. It would be shame if it was to be lost as the company closes down. Surely it should be a target for the museum in Armagh to ensure it is archived properly.
Quote from: Owen Brannigan on April 12, 2017, 10:53:44 PM
Quote from: screenexile on April 12, 2017, 10:43:36 PM
Mid Ulster Observer was extremely out dated and it sports coverage is blown out of the water by the Derry Post.
They had to move with the times and they didn't. The Newspaper had the same layout since I was a teenager and as far as I could see no web or Social Media presence I don't know how they expected to make money without keeping up with the times!
That was the problem, the business model was built on providing a photographic edition to attract the buyers wanting to see themselves or others they knew and then adding on the advertising on the basis of the sales. With social media the photographic record of events even more mundane than those found in the Observer was made available to everyone and everyone could add to it. No more need for the Observer, sales fall, advertising has to become cheaper and the end arrives.
There must be an unbelievable archive of photographic material dating back for over 70 years recording the social history of provincial towns in the Observer Newspaper group. It would be shame if it was to be lost as the company closes down. Surely it should be a target for the museum in Armagh to ensure it is archived properly.
You know where to go? Central Library in Royal Avenue, Belfast. They have a great newspaper archive, I used to use it when I was a student at Lurgan Tech. They have all the London, Belfast and Dublin papers going back over a century, and they have a lot of the regional papers too. I know they definitely have the old Morton Newspapers (Lurgan Mail, Portadown Times, Derry Sentinel etc..) so there's a good chance they have the Examiner/Observer too. You should take a day at it, there's some great stuff you can browse through.
Quote from: Fionntamhnach on June 17, 2019, 05:48:11 PM
Another Tyrone local paper is biting the dust...
QuoteTyrone Times to close as JPI Media axes 10 titles
Cookstown-based newspaper Tyrone Times is set to close, as its publisher looks to secure the "long-term stability of the business".
Tyrone Times is one of ten regional newspapers to be shuttered, owners JPI Media have announced.
The publisher said no jobs would be lost in the process, with affected staff to be moved to its other titles.
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/northern-ireland/tyrone-times-to-close-as-jpi-media-axes-10-titles-38226021.html
Newspapers are a dying breed. They need to adapt quickly. Those that do, will survive. Those that don't, well extinction awaits.
Love to hear your ideas. Sounds like it should be easy?
Quote from: bennydorano on June 17, 2019, 11:35:00 PM
Love to hear your ideas. Sounds like it should be easy?
+1
Hes already told yis. They need to adapt. Simples ;)
Don't forget the word quickly ;D
Quote from: trailer on June 17, 2019, 10:10:59 PM
Quote from: Fionntamhnach on June 17, 2019, 05:48:11 PM
Another Tyrone local paper is biting the dust...
QuoteTyrone Times to close as JPI Media axes 10 titles
Cookstown-based newspaper Tyrone Times is set to close, as its publisher looks to secure the "long-term stability of the business".
Tyrone Times is one of ten regional newspapers to be shuttered, owners JPI Media have announced.
The publisher said no jobs would be lost in the process, with affected staff to be moved to its other titles.
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/northern-ireland/tyrone-times-to-close-as-jpi-media-axes-10-titles-38226021.html
Newspapers are a dying breed. They need to adapt quickly. Those that do, will survive. Those that don't, well extinction awaits.
Newspapers are dead, people read everything on their phones and there's so much available across the web any sort of paid for service will struggle, even the likes of the Guardian and that are having to beg for people to pay the subscription.
The fact there are also computer programs out there using algorithms to extract details of a story from a legitimate web source and automatically rewording it, so it is original content and then publishing it to their website crowd the market out, its done in seconds, its always up to date and cost pretty much nothing when set up. This is why there are so many shitty little news sites about.
Quote from: Fionntamhnach on June 17, 2019, 05:48:11 PM
Another Tyrone local paper is biting the dust...
QuoteTyrone Times to close as JPI Media axes 10 titles
Cookstown-based newspaper Tyrone Times is set to close, as its publisher looks to secure the "long-term stability of the business".
Tyrone Times is one of ten regional newspapers to be shuttered, owners JPI Media have announced.
The publisher said no jobs would be lost in the process, with affected staff to be moved to its other titles.
The North West News Group stepped in when the Dungannon Observer folded with the Dungannon Herald. Could be room for a Cookstown Herald?
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/northern-ireland/tyrone-times-to-close-as-jpi-media-axes-10-titles-38226021.html