Survival? The Future of the Regional Print Industry in Ireland: The Perspectives of Media Owners and Editors

The media industry has undergone a myriad of challenges in recent years and in Ireland the impact of those challenges has been particularly acute in the regional print press. Changes in media consumption patterns, a shift from mainstream and digital media, advances in technology, reduced income from advertising and a decrease in newspaper circulation have all had a significant impact on the regional print press in Ireland. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with five owners and five editors of regional print newspapers. An overall negative view of the future of the industry, from a regional print perspective, was found. Survival is a priority and a lack of resources is a concern, as recruitment of staff—journalists and photojournalists—is limited or non-existent. All participants cited lack of revenue from advertising and struggles to generate any profit from online advertising as major concerns. While all maintained that editorial independence is a priority, in reality, the separation between newsrooms and commercial sections of media organisations has become less pronounced, amid commercial realities which are a source of disquiet.