A new, niche look at niche news

Did you know the media is changing? No, we haven’t just rolled over and given up writing something interesting and different, just give it a chance. 

First, let’s acknowledge the obvious. This is one of the most discussed trends in comms and media circles right now. To demonstrate, simply click here, or here, or maybe here, or here, or even here. Or just carry on reading.

Niche and new media - typically podcasts and newsletters - is often viewed as a way of reaching specific audiences, who are far more engaged in the subject matter and those commenting on it than they are in ‘old’ media. 

But it’s now also starting to fill gaps where traditional media has collapsed and disappeared - namely local news.

Last year, the London Evening Standard ceased daily publication. In its place have come a bunch of newsletters focused on detailed reporting and big stories, all delivered by experienced journalists. It’s a model that offers hope, but the relative lack of resources means scrutiny and accountability are even more limited than before.

The death of local news is neither a new nor isolated phenomenon. Last year, concerns were raised about the impact of newspaper closures in NSW and Queensland, and the trend is only likely to continue as economic reality bites.

It is outside major cities where this has the most impact. London, for example, benefits from a surfeit of content, a huge potential audience of paid subscribers, and a sizeable pool of journalists to power new publications. Smaller towns and cities aren’t so lucky.

But wherever this trend takes hold, it will present significant problems. Local news, by its very definition, isn’t niche. It is universal to that community, and as such should reflect it. When costs rise to around $16 a month (that’s more than The Guardian), many are removed from a vital part of the local ecosystem.

This isn’t to say new and niche media doesn’t have its place (after all, newsletters are obviously incredible). But nor is it the answer to the disappearance of local news. 

There’s no pithy wrap up to this one. It’s undoubtedly interesting, a bit grim, and as such, worth watching.