Letters from the editors

30th November 2010

Dear Graham

You can, of course, advance the argument 'that almost every word of most local newspapers in Cornwall is published by just three men', but I'm not sure it would stand up to much scrutiny. Wouldn't that be like attributing everything broadcast by the BBC to the Director General and ignoring the input of every one of the highly professional and talented journalist that works for the corporation?

I can only speak for Northcliffe titles but, having worked for the group for 15 years in several different companies and having been an editor of three of its newspapers, I can honestly say I have never received any directives regarding editorial content from anybody in Northcliffe, let alone the wider reaches of DMGT. Northcliffe's philosophy has always been to appoint local editors and to allow them to edit locally, and that is what it does.

The matter of the ownership of the media - and its concentration in the hands of a few individuals - is of course a valid topic for debate and I would be the first to agree that in terms of both free speech and commercial competition the ideal would be to have many owners. The practicalities of that are of course complex, and never more so than in a recession-gripped, free-market economy. I'm not defending or advancing that position, but if one was to be critical of your apparent take on 'us' it would appear rather easy to make lofty judgements about 'The Press we deserve' from the comfort of an ivory tower supported by the licence fee...

And there, of course, lies another debate.

A point of information: the Western Morning News belongs to South West Media Group - a Northcliffe company, yes, but separate from Cornwall and Devon Media.

Also, we have stopped publishing Brides In Cornwall, but there is the independent publication Wed which last time I looked was doing a grand job of catering to that specialist market.

Finally, dare I suggest it might be worth getting over your aversion to glossy mags and taking a look at Cornwall Today? I enjoy it. I'll even send you a copy if you like.

Regards

Richard Best

Editor, The West Briton; deputy editor, Cornwall & Devon Media Ltd.