Tell us how Caerphilly Observer can be better

Six years ago, at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, many of our advertisers (although not all) began cancelling their bookings with Caerphilly Observer.

Almost overnight, the main source of income for our independent local news service started to disappear – and with it, real questions about whether we could continue at all.

This was before any grant support became available, and long before there was any certainty about how long the pandemic would last. But one thing was clear: if we were going to survive, we needed to rethink how Caerphilly Observer worked.

Covid forced us to face some uncomfortable truths. Were we serving our readers in the best way possible? And how could we sustainably fund the kind of local journalism our communities rely on?

I started my career as a trainee journalist in 2004 on the now-defunct Campaign. Looking back at those old editions today, around 90% of the pages were filled with adverts.

Back then, if a local business wanted to reach customers, the local newspaper was one of the only realistic options.

When I launched Caerphilly Observer in 2009, that was still the model I expected to work:
do important journalism, grow an audience, and fund it through advertising.

The rise of social media platforms and search engines, and the changes they brought, meant local businesses now have a variety of ways to engage customers. There is still a place for print newspapers and news websites, but the reality is only a tiny fraction of marketing spend now goes to local media.

That shift has fundamentally changed local journalism – and not for the better.

Why members matter

Since 2020, something important has happened.

Instead of relying almost entirely on advertising, more of our income now comes directly from readers – people who believe local, independent journalism is worth supporting.

That support has allowed us to keep reporting on local issues while remaining independent of political or commercial influence.

But it also raises a bigger question: If readers are helping to fund Caerphilly Observer, shouldn’t they help shape it too?

Our first members’ meeting

That’s why we’re holding our first ever Caerphilly Observer Members’ Meeting on Saturday February 21 between 1pm and 3pm at Caerphilly Miners Centre, Watford Road, Caerphilly, CF83 1BJ.

The first part of the session will be a short, open talk about how Caerphilly Observer started, the challenges facing local journalism, and where we think local news needs to go next.

After a refreshment break, we’ll split into small discussion groups to hear directly from our members to find out what you value most about Caerphilly Observer, what you think we should do more (or less) of, and what information really matters to you and your community

This isn’t a sales pitch, or chance to blow our own trumpet – it’s a conversation and a chance for members to influence our editorial direction.

Not a member yet?

If you believe Caerphilly County Borough needs a strong, independent local news service – and you want a say in how it develops – becoming a member is one of the most direct ways to support that work.

Members don’t just help keep Caerphilly Observer going. They will help define what it becomes next.

Sign up below to become a member, and if you’re already one, you can register here.

We’d love to see as many of you as possible on February 21.

Richard Gurner

Editor and Publisher of Caerphilly Observer