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The other day I met with a friend, who used to work at the press office of a minister of the previous administration, for late drinks. One of the many issues we discussed was the presence of small-scale news outlets in the municipalities surrounding the city of Athens.

From what my friend informed me, the most affluent boroughs of Athens are short of proper electronic and print news media. It’s been years since we last received any local newspaper in our mailboxes. There was a time when the residents of Glyfada could opt subscribing to a local newspaper according to their political identities and affiliations. So, what happened during the last few years and local newspapers faded away?

The most plausible explanation seems to be the scarcity of financial resources. While some newspapers were self-funded, others relied to a mix of subscriptions and advertisements that eventually failed to sustain the viability of these publications. In the meantime, subscribers started losing their interest in local news and their indifference resulted to businesses pulling off their ad money from the pages of the newspapers.

The root to this problem can be traced back to the purpose of those publications. Readers deduced early that these newspapers were eloquently employed for political, financial and administrative machinations. Plus, getting informed and involved with issues that were scratching the illustrative façade of the region’s glamorous well-being was actually a notable turn-off, while the sense of community among the region’s residents hasn’t always been solid.

Yet, the years have passed and for many this ugly situation is water under the bridge. Thus, what’s the next step for local news outlets? Is it appropriate for the region’s public services to still receive local newspapers while the residents are cut off? Important local stories won’t stop occurring and developing. Isn’t it about time to go local once again?   Frankly, now it’s easier than ever, because of the Internet [lower costs, larger reach, easiness to update frequently content, interaction with the local communities].

To be continued…