His Majesty The King has paid tribute to the work of local media with a special event at Buckingham Palace.
While I have somewhat mixed feelings about the Royal Family, it was still a great honour to be invited to the reception, held on Wednesday March 26, and represent Caerphilly Observer.
It was all very grand and a once-in-a lifetime opportunity – although I actually missed the chance to meet either The King or The Queen 🤦♂️.
With around 400 guests it was always unlikely I would meet them, unless I jockeyed for position. That was the plan, but I got side-tracked catching-up with people I had not seen for years like Dr Rachel Howells from NUJ Wales, and David Rhys Williams who runs MyWelshPool. By the time I realised the Royals were doing the rounds, they’d gone. The free Champagne didn’t help the cause either.
David and I spent a chunk of time discussing the difficulty in keeping our respective titles going and the pressure that brings. It was great to talk to him and others about how challenging it can be – something acknowledged by The King in a message to guests issued ahead of the reception.
The Message from His Majesty The King
“I have long believed that regional media, in all its forms, has a unique and vital role to play in society, perhaps even more so in these uncertain times.
“As I said in a speech to mark the tercentenary of Britain’s first daily national newspaper, back in 2002, the Press, alongside other long-standing institutions, is at the forefront of ‘defining, describing and celebrating the more profound values of our nation’.
“Two decades on, when too much focus is given to that which divides us, that role for your whole industry is more important than ever – and it starts from the ground-up, at local level, in your hands.
“Your reporting, and the work of all those who support you, helps amplify and reaffirm the rights and responsibilities we all share. It shines a light in dark corners, exposing injustice and wrongdoing. Above all, it helps strengthen our communities, in times of joy and at moments of sorrow.
“You won’t always get it right. A free media is one that will and does make mistakes. But at its best, it is a cornerstone of our democracy.
“I know how commercial pressures and changing technologies have had a significant impact on your industry. But as the media landscape has changed, so too many of you have adapted and innovated, finding ways of sharing your journalism and engaging audiences in new and creative ways.
“It is in everyone’s interests that you should succeed. For without a thriving and financially robust regional media, we would all be the poorer.
Historically, local news has been paid for through local businesses advertising, but this is getting harder to sustain for two main reasons – demographics and technology.
Younger entrepreneurs often no longer see the value in advertising in print and usually keep their marketing activity on social media. What they do spend, they spend it on platforms like Facebook.
That is why we have turned to our readers for help. Without the financial support of readers in the future, we will not exist.
It is our job to do journalism that people find valuable, and of benefit, to their understanding of what’s going on locally.
You might be thinking that our website, which has adverts on, is raking in the cash but the reality is very different.
Around 80,000 visitors a month generates just £400 in Google ad revenue – that’s 0.5p per reader. You can see how the figures don’t work.
As part of his message The King highlighted the “unique and vital role” of local media and I am told by our readers that Caerphilly Observer has that in our community.
If we are to continue to keep people informed, then we need your help to do it. And for those who are already members – thank you.
Become a member from just £1 (or more) and support local journalism. You also get to switch the adverts off our website.
NB. I’d previously met The King when he officially opened the Caerphilly Miners Centre (where we are based) back in December 2017, so I wasn’t too disheartened.
I’ve been feeling a bit down recently, but being with others facing similar challenges has given me a fresh sense of purpose with Caerphilly Observer. Time well spent.