Westminster debate: Is H&F News now the story, not the medium?

11.43.00pm GMT Tue 19th Jan 2010

Paul Burstow, Liberal Democrat MP led a debate in Westminster last week calling on the government to investigate the damage done to local media and local democracy by Council run, taxpayer funded council newspapers which are driving independent local newspapers out of business.

H&F News, which was singled out for criticism in a select committee investigation last autumn (most pointedly by one of the Tory members) was again heavily criticised in the Westminster Hall debate initiated by the Liberal Democrat MP for Sutton and Cheam.

Interestingly, the H&F News website provides links to two obscure articles - about the Council's campaign about the super-sewer - in the LGC and the online journal "Planning Resource", but has failed to "notice" (or at any rate link) any of the news reports criticising itself.

However, local residents concerned about the adverse effects on a lack of independent media reporting on our Council's activities will be relieved to learn that the Chronicle has been converted into a free paper delivered to 70,000 households in the Borough.

Related Links:

The Guardian.

LocalGov.co.uk.

Press Gazette.

reading chronicle.

Staines Guardian.