We reckon that readers of today’s Free Press will struggle to see what differences there are to make it ‘even better, brighter and bigger’, for this is what it says on its front page. Yet, the paper looks identical to last week’s.
What the Free Press is actually trying to do is draw readers’ attention to what differentiates it from the recently launched Vale Advertiser replacement, Your Vale. Edition one of Your Vale admitted to its predecessor having gone through somewhat tough times. The Free Press wants its readers to view it differently.
Should readers spend £26 a year on the Free Press when Your Vale is free? Let’s take a look at yesterday’s Your Vale and today’s Free Press.
Today’s Free Press has 77 news stories, 19 of which are of direct relevance to Rhuthun. Admittedly, some of the 77 are small fry. Compare this to Your Vale, with only 22 stories, six of which are directly relevant to Rhuthun.
As far as I can see, there are only four stories that are repeated in both newspapers—and none relating to Rhuthun. The story on the Llangollen River Dee canoeing arrest on Your Vale’s front page (which curiously the paper refers to as a ‘stretch of river in the Vale of Clwyd’) gets a slot in the Free Press on page 14.
Regarding the Rhuthun big news stories, the Free Press picks up on issues about L E Jones haulage safety and a follow-up on on the Llandegla horses recently featured. Your Vale looks at Castell Rhuthun Castle’s go-ahead for a spa, an interesting one following older news that the Castle may be up for sale.
Perhaps more on this sale on this blog, soon.
We appreciate that there’s more to the local press than news. The Free Press is feature rich, though this week’s are of no specific interest to Rhuthun, other than the farming ones. And it has three times as many sports pages.
On the basis of news items alone, though, to get the full 25 Rhuthun story picture, you need to read both papers. Hasn’t this always been the case? Absolutely. No one newspaper has ever managed to include everything, ever since the Vale sprung up. No change there.
So, here’s a novel suggestion: why don’t North Wales Newspapers & Trinity Newspapers combine forces in these credit crunchy times and work in efficient unity to bring one publication that covers all issues? As if.
What the Free Press is actually trying to do is draw readers’ attention to what differentiates it from the recently launched Vale Advertiser replacement, Your Vale. Edition one of Your Vale admitted to its predecessor having gone through somewhat tough times. The Free Press wants its readers to view it differently.
Should readers spend £26 a year on the Free Press when Your Vale is free? Let’s take a look at yesterday’s Your Vale and today’s Free Press.
Today’s Free Press has 77 news stories, 19 of which are of direct relevance to Rhuthun. Admittedly, some of the 77 are small fry. Compare this to Your Vale, with only 22 stories, six of which are directly relevant to Rhuthun.
As far as I can see, there are only four stories that are repeated in both newspapers—and none relating to Rhuthun. The story on the Llangollen River Dee canoeing arrest on Your Vale’s front page (which curiously the paper refers to as a ‘stretch of river in the Vale of Clwyd’) gets a slot in the Free Press on page 14.
Regarding the Rhuthun big news stories, the Free Press picks up on issues about L E Jones haulage safety and a follow-up on on the Llandegla horses recently featured. Your Vale looks at Castell Rhuthun Castle’s go-ahead for a spa, an interesting one following older news that the Castle may be up for sale.
Perhaps more on this sale on this blog, soon.
We appreciate that there’s more to the local press than news. The Free Press is feature rich, though this week’s are of no specific interest to Rhuthun, other than the farming ones. And it has three times as many sports pages.
On the basis of news items alone, though, to get the full 25 Rhuthun story picture, you need to read both papers. Hasn’t this always been the case? Absolutely. No one newspaper has ever managed to include everything, ever since the Vale sprung up. No change there.
So, here’s a novel suggestion: why don’t North Wales Newspapers & Trinity Newspapers combine forces in these credit crunchy times and work in efficient unity to bring one publication that covers all issues? As if.
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Media