James Bond and a rumour...

The BBC should be careful not to overdo it - they actually published a third Chester story this week!

Fans out for Bond's home premiere

There is a rumour afoot that the BBC intends to improve its micro news coverage. I heard this via a rather roundabout route involving several journalists. Apparently, local newspapers are getting worried that such a move might destroy whatever it is that makes their publications unique. In fact, newspaper editors are apparently so concerned that those who are members of the Newspaper Society are thinking of boycotting the BBC.

The answer to that, of course, is that local papers need to do more to engage their readership - improving their websites and allowing readers to comment directly on stories is one such option, rather than forcing them to write to the letters page, and letting them get directly involved in the reportage by providing eyewitness accounts, photos etc. And stop providing bland front-page splashes of fundraising events and zoo births, instead replacing them with hard news on hot local issues.

Yes, the BBC has far bigger resources (and wouldn't it be great to see some of them put into improving its Cheshire coverage?) but if local papers take up the baton, they have nothing to fear. Boycotting the BBC won't soothe their fears of losing readers to the Corporation. And besides, we are only asking for equality of coverage - ie, Cheshire stories on a BBC webpage for Cheshire. If that ever happens, it will still not compete with the local press, who will always have the space to cover more stories, in greater depth. It's not about being forced to choose between a local paper OR the BBC.

So it's possible that the recent flurry of Chester stories is the first wave of improved Cheshire coverage by the BBC. But it might just be a blip. And we still don't have a web page.

I'm going to try and find out more about this...