Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Why Press Gazette should not die

I went to the wake for Press Gazette last night in Fleet Street. It was a good evening meeting old friends and colleagues but I was left thinking why does the title have to die?
I understand that a weekly print magazine is no longer viable because the job ads have gone to MediaGuardian and HoldtheFrontPage but what's to stop it existing on the web?
Journalists of all people can keep a lively, independent website called Press Gazette going. UK Press Gazette started as an independent title launched by ex-Fleet Street editor Colin Valdar and survived for more than 40 years through various owners with an ethos that journalism was a good thing and needed to be defended against its many enemies.
We can't let some small time publisher like Wilmington kill it off.
We are in a different era from print magazines. All we need is access to the web, to tap into the independent spirit of Press Gazette and connect with journalists across the country.
We won't make any money but we won't lose a lot either. What we will have is an independent voice. That's priceless in a way a magazine company and its bean counters will never understand.

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