British daily cuts business news desk

Nathan Lane of The Drum in England reports that the Manchester Evening News in that country is eliminating its business news desk.

Lane writes, “The wisdom of this move will be seen over the coming months. But, before you resign the local paper to the annals of history, take a minute to think about the importance of local reporting.

“Local reporting gives local businesses a platform to reach out to their markets. It often champions the issues of readers and provides a valueable conduit to the national media, as stories are picked up and reported.

“Where will businesses outside the FTSE 100 and the M25 have a voice when local papers are gone? National media continue to pull back on their regional resource and even the BBC is looking at a more centralised delivery of news.

“Marketing dogma would suggest that every business is able to become a self-publishing, content marketing engine that attracts an engaged audience to serve as a pool of prospective customers. It doesn’t happen like that in the real world. Small businesses often lack the resources to plan and sustain a content led digital campaign.

“There is no easy solution to this problem. Companies have shifted spend to digital platforms and many traditional media brands have failed to commercialise their digital offers. There are notable exceptions, such as thebusinessdesk.com, which has grown through tough times.”

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