Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday representatives of the newspaper industry, both local and national, attended a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht. They set out the challenges facing the print media industry today, particularly in the context of Covid-19. They outlined the work they have done during the pandemic and the financial hit they have taken.

First and foremost, we must remember that media outlets are businesses and the aim of their owners is to make money because if they do not do so, they go bust. Some made bad financial investments during the boom and have found themselves in a difficult position as a result. That said, local newspapers in this country provide a very important service. They cover stories that would go under the radar and not be covered at all if they failed to continue in operation. In that respect, I support the call made Mr. Frank Mulrennan at committee yesterday that the same funding, totalling €2.6 million, which was provided in July for commercial radio, including local radio be provided to local newspapers that have suffered a steep decline in income from both advertising and sales. I support Mr. Mulrennan's call on behalf of all local newspapers because if the State does not intervene, we will lose something that is more than just a product. Local newspapers cover local council meetings, local court sittings as well as local sporting and cultural events. They are the very essence and fabric of local communities. There is a broader debate to be had on why young people in particular are not buying newspapers at all, never mind local newspapers, but in the here and now I support the call made by local newspapers for financial support. That call was passed on, by resolution of the committee yesterday, to the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin.

I have repeatedly called for consideration to be given to introducing a scheme similar to the local democracy reporter, LDR, scheme in the UK, which was introduced by the former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Mr. John Whittingdale. Under that scheme, a percentage of the licence fee is used to create a pool of reporters who cover important statutory meetings such as council meetings, court sittings and so on.