6. Local Newspapers in Britain

Visitors to Britain are sometimes surprised to learn that newspapers there have such a large circulation. The "Daily Mirror" and the "Daily Express" both sell about four million copies every day. British families generally buy a newspaper every morning and frequently take two or three on Sundays.

Apart from the national papers, there is, however, another branch of the British press which sells almost as many copies. Local newspapers have a weekly circulation of 13 million. Almost every town and country area has one. Nearly all of them hold their own financially and many of them are very profitable.

These papers are written almost entirely for readers interested in local events—births, weddings, deaths, council meetings and sports—but the content is naturally influenced by the kind of community they serve. Editors prefer to rely on a small staff of people who all know the district well. A great deal of local news is regularly supplied by clubs and churches in the neighbourhood and it does not get out of date as quickly as national news. If there is no room for it in this week's edition, an item can sometimes be held over until the following week.

The editor must never forget that the success of any newspaper depends on advertising. He is usually anxious to keep the good will of local businessmen for this reason. But if the newspaper is well written and the news items have been carefully chosen to attract local readers, the businessmen are grateful for the opportunity to keep their products in the public eye.

Local newspapers do not often comment on problems of national importance and editors rarely hold with taking sides on political questions. But they can often be of service to the community in expressing public feeling on local issues. A newspaper can sometimes persuade the council to take action to provide better shopping facilities, improve transport in the area and preserve local monuments and places of interest.

These papers often sound rather dull and it seems surprising that they all make a profit. But for many people in small towns and villages the death of someone known to them or the installation of traffic lights at a busy corner nearby can sometimes be more important than a disaster in a foreign country.