MSP repeats warning on how local press could lose out on Government advertising

Interesting interview on journalism.co.uk with MSP Ted Brocklebank in which he again outlines the danger to the press of losing vital Government and local authority advertising to state-owned websites.
Brocklebank first raised the matter in the Scottish Parliament in a debate about the reorganisation of the Herald newspapers. He mentioned trials being undertaken by local authorities in Scotland to put their ads on their own online sites rather than in local newspapers.
The MSP has submitted written questions asking how much the Scottish government currently spends on local newspaper advertising and how much is used on web advertising on local authority and government websites.
He tells journalism.co.uk's Judith Townend: "It seems to me that the government is moving away from placing recruitment ads with local and national newspapers, and from statutory and public notices. These are major parts of the income [for newspapers]. This is symptomatic of a much bigger thing.
"Governments are about saving money and it's very difficult to argue with that, but when it comes to statutory notices we think it's another thing. We think the public has a right to that information [via newspapers]."
Newspapers in the rest of the UK are also concerned that they might lose statutory advertising and public notices as well as recruitment ads from the Government and local authorities.
The MSP's comments comes on the day the Daily Mail & General Trust's annual report said of its regional newspaper arm Northcliffe: "The gloomy economic outlook points to extremely challenging conditions for our key advertising markets in the coming year".

Loss of Government advertising: is this the real threat to the future of newspapers?

The debate about the reorganisation of The Herald newspaper group in Glasgow by Newsquest was lively (you can read a transcript here) in the Scottish Parliament, with many MSPs condemning the way journalists have been made redundant and have to reapply for their jobs.
But a point raised in the debate by MSP Ted Brocklebank could have a much wider and disastrous impact on the press, the potential loss of Government and local authority advertising from newspapers.
This is what he said: "Until now, national and local newspapers have been able to rely on councils and the Government advertising recruitment opportunities, and publishing public and statutory notices. However, local authorities and the Government are turning to the electronic media. Today, I have asked written questions about the amount that is spent by the Scottish Government on local and national press advertising per annum, and I have requested similar figures from the councils.
"Clearly, government at all levels must seek to save costs. As the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism will no doubt confirm, the Scottish Government is in five different areas of Scotland trialling the publication of public and statutory notices on the web. If the trials are successful, it could mean a massive loss of advertising revenue for the Scottish press, and newspapers going to the wall."
This is a concern not just in Scotland, but in the rest of the UK. If Government and local authority advertising migrates to state-owned websites it would be a disaster for the press.
The Newspaper Society and Society of Editors have already raised concerns about the possible ending of statuatory advertising of planning applications.