Media essays

More Than a Local Rag: The Social Role of Rural Newspapers

by Loralie Schultz (2003)
Rural newspapers are an integral part of Australian community. From small, independent quarterfolds to the larger, daily newspapers of heavily-populated country towns, the rural newspaper fulfils a number of important social and cultural functions that differ to those of metropolitan newspapers and other forms of media. The ways in which these roles are fulfilled as well as the unique features of the rural press will be investigated in order to highlight the importance of the rural newspaper to its community.

An examination of rural newspapers would not be complete without an overview of its history. Local content is taken for granted by rural newspaper readers today, but newspapers were not always local. When the rural press began in Australia in 1841, the newspapers consisted solely of compiled news from larger, metropolitan newspapers. Local content was rejected as it was believed that people would not want to pay for news that they could receive by word-of-mouth Local news began to appear in the 1860s to 1870s as rural communities grew and the number of rural newspapers increased.

The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser were seen as the archetypes of the rural press during this time. They provided an example of how rural news should be covered responsibly and extensively, thus provoking competition from other newspapers anxious to make similar profits, and leading to an increased emphasis on local news. The introduction of radio and television sped up the process as it meant that newspapers were no longer the agents for breaking national and international news. This provided rural newspapers with greater scope for focusing on the local. By 1952, rural newspapers in Australia were concentrating almost entirely on local news, and this level has increased further. Local news is now the 'bread and butter' of rural newspapers.

The rural newspaper holds an important place in rural areas today. Almost all communities, rural and metropolitan, depend on the media to provide a means of communication among various sub-systems in the community. Political, economic and other systems of society rely on the mass media as a provider of these communication links. Rod Kirkpatrick proposes that the rural newspaper, as a community function, helps individuals and groups to assimilate into the community structure. This is partly achieved by distributing recognition throughout the local community in the form of stories, pictures and announcements about local persons and events. This is not possible in a metropolitan area due to the enormity of its size.

An example of how a rural newspaper promotes social cohesion can be seen in the Port Lincoln Times in South Australia. Editor Jodie Hamilton describes the newspaper as a 'local bible': "If you're born, married or if you die in Port Lincoln, it will be included in the newspaper...You'll have your whole life in the paper." The newspaper‚s main feature is sport due to its prominence in the Port Lincoln community. All sport, ranging from junior to A grade is covered, making it popular with readers of all ages. The newspaper also contains community and social sections. Hamilton believes that the newspaper is very effective in promoting a sense of community, and that this is reflected in high newspaper sales.

Rural newspapers are more personal than metropolitan newspapers due to its focus on the lives of its readers. As Hamilton points out, a person could read about something that happened in their street. While metropolitan newspapers may report on events that occurred in Port Lincoln, Hamilton believes that their reporting is not as effective as they do not know the 'ins and outs'of the community. Therefore, people turn to her newspaper for the inside story. This view is corroborated by Kirkpatrick who sees community proximity as a unique strength of rural newspapers. He believes that the newspaper is, in many ways, the single most important institution in a town. The newspaper is more aware of its readers than a metropolitan newspaper, and it often holds historical significance to the area it serves and is as much a part of the community as any long-running business.

The rural newspaper enjoys a loyal readership far superior to metropolitan newspapers. Studies conducted over the past few decades have invariably found that rural newspapers are widely and thoroughly read by the people in their circulation areas. A 1976 study in Moorabbin, Victoria, found that 91% of Moorabbin residents read the Moorabbin Standard. The newspaper boasted the highest average readership of any daily or local newspaper in the area. A similar study conducted in Warrnambool, Victoria, in 1988 found that 90% of households read the Warrnambool Standard daily. Although these studies were not undertaken recently, it appears that rural newspapers are as well-read as ever. The Port Lincoln Times, a bi-weekly newspaper, sells 6000 newspapers per week to a population of 13,000. Taking into account the assumption that several people within each household would be sharing the same copy of the Port Lincoln Times, it could be concluded that the newspaper is read by the majority of the Port Lincoln population.

Hamilton believes that the high sales are evidence of the value people feel towards the newspaper: "If they didn't pay for it, they might just think of it as the local rag and throw it away. They've chosen to pay for it so they must value it." Don Gunn, the editor of the Midland Express in Victoria, agrees that rural newspapers are held in high esteem by their readers. Published weekly with a circulation of almost 20,000, Gunn believes that the Midland Express is valued for its broad mix of news, current affairs, arts and entertainment. "The readers tell me that they are hanging out to read the newspaper each week," he says.

Malcolm Fraser, then, was correct when he stated back in 1977 that "Newspapers in rural areas are read as closely and eagerly as a letter from a friend." However, not all readers of rural newspapers are the same. A stereotype exists of rural newspaper readers as being like-minded people with the same parochial interests and common preoccupations moulded by an intense sense of community. To the contrary, studies have found a direct relationship between demographic variables and media use. A major factor affecting the amount of time readers spent reading newspapers was how long the reader had been living in the community. The aforementioned study of the Moorabbin Standard readership, as well as a 1983 American study, found that local newspapers appealed most to people who were settled in the community and owned their own homes there. People who had just arrived or who were in the process of relocating from one community to another were least drawn to the newspapers. Thus it would seem that there is an element of community 'patriotism' involved when reading the local newspaper, and this could account for the high levels of readership.

Small, independent newspapers are emerging as a new breed of rural media, and are deserving of mention here. When computers and other forms of technology were introduced in the 1970s, many small-town newspapers were discontinued. The costs and the requirement of new skills involved with the technological changes meant that many owners of small, independent newspapers either chose to retire or to sell their newspaper to a larger newspaper chain. However, the past several years has seen a new trend involving computer-literate, business-minded people, and 'city refugees' establishing small-town newspapers with a view to preserving the country spirit. Brian O'Connor applauds what he sees as a 'big comeback' for small-town newspapers, describing the 'new breed' as "bursting with personality and wit and hometown pride". The newspapers, he believes, are promoting the revitalisation of country towns and the 'can do' attitude of town residents. Kathy Stapely, editor of Cooktown Local News in Queensland, believes that her newspaper functions as a valuable resource for town residents who cannot otherwise obtain action on important issues. A small newspaper, she claims, is potentially powerful in eliciting responses to local issues from politicians, bureaucrats and others in a position of power. It can provoke community support, influencing how government agencies address certain issues.

O'Connor believes that rural newspapers in general are seeking to get closer to individual communities. Larger rural newspapers may be circulated to a number of communities while catering for none. This is where smaller rural newspapers, usually quarter-folds, are effective in filling the gaps. Smaller newspapers are also more likely to be perceived as being owned by the whole community. In such cases the editor is usually considered the proprietor' while the community itself governs the content. O'Connor argues that larger rural newspapers are often staffed by trained journalists eager to progress in the media industry. Consequently, they may not work for the newspaper long enough to gain a real sense of town life and its needs. Smaller newspapers are usually printed close to their distribution point, relying on the contribution of residents as well as professional journalists.

Another unique feature of small-town newspapers is its long shelf life. Beth Pagel, editor of the Kentish Chronicle in Tasmania, claims that most of her readers have kept all copies of the monthly newspaper since it started in 1994. Smaller newspapers, being more personal and relevant to the community, are often kept indefinitely by readers as they may contain important local numbers, articles of interest, or useful recipes. Small-town newspapers, therefore, have emerged as a colourful and important part of the rural media industry, serving the needs of smaller communities in ways that larger rural newspapers cannot.

In order to understand the role of the rural press in society, it is useful to examine the types of content included in rural newspapers. According to Ian Jackson, the types of news that provoke interest have changed little over the centuries, except that people are now more interested in sport and what he terms 'institutional informative'. The latter involves government policies and decisions, and Jackson attributes the marked increase of interest in this category to the greater affluence of society. Readers have more disposable income and wish to be informed on issues that might affect their choices as citizens and consumers. Readers are also showing more interest in social issues involving families, education and health. Jackson believes that local life is usually reflected in a rural newspaper as 'order against disorder'. Community leaders, local heroes and achievers, and small-scale celebrities such as centenarians and lottery winners are presented on the 'order' side; while the victims of disasters, accidents, crime, institutional discord and neglect are presented on the 'disorder' side.

A content analysis performed by Jackson found that local newspapers contain more Œdisorder‚ news, but a greater variety of 'order' news. The attention that the latter category receives performs a 'booster' function for the community, enhancing local pride and solidarity and allowing readers to cope better with the 'disorder' news. Jackson found that smaller newspapers contained less 'disorder' news than larger, daily newspapers. Hamilton says that the Port Lincoln Times strives to include mostly positive stories about Port Lincoln. Metropolitan newspapers will usually only report negative events that occur in the town, so the Port Lincoln Times focuses mostly on positive events that would not be considered newsworthy enough for a larger newspaper.

Gunn does not believe that the Midland Express is particularly geared towards either positive or negative news. He believes that the type of news available varies from week to week, and that during a 'dull' week a news story might be included on the front cover that would not ordinarily belong there. Both the Port Lincoln Times and Midland Express gain their news through contacts. Journalists of the Port Lincoln Times are assigned rounds in various areas of the town, and very little news is taken from press releases. The Midland Express takes some news from press releases, but they seldom run the press release unedited. "We try to look beyond what the public relations people are giving us," says Gunn. "We know how public relations people work, and the public relations people know how journalists work. It's no secret that half the public relations people used to be journalists." Gunn believes that the solid reputation of the Midland Express means that "people want to tell you their stories". Thus, many news leads are gained through residents who telephone the newspaper, or approach journalists in the street. The content of rural newspapers is gathered in a variety of ways, and the types of content ensures that the rural newspaper fulfils its desired roles in society.

Jackson believes that the roles can be summed up in the following way: The promotion of a sense of community, identity and cohesion; the provision of political, institutional and cultural information with background analysis and interpretation; the provision of a platform for debate and complaint; and the publicising of goods and services, employment opportunities, announcements and notices.

Rural newspapers are more accountable than metropolitan newspapers for the content that they publish. Readers are seen as a 'rigorous check' on the accuracy of local news reports and features. Collectively, readers have a detailed knowledge of local material, and they act as a check, not only on factual accuracy but on exaggeration or distortion arising from how the news is selected and distorted. According to Kirkpatrick, rural newspapers are written 'with' people - if not 'by' them - and they are written for them. As mentioned earlier, this is particularly true for smaller rural newspapers, where the community often shares the proprietorship of the newspaper as well as contributing content. When asked whether rural newspapers were more accountable than metropolitan newspapers, both Hamilton and Gunn replied that it was "absolutely true".

Gunn considers the Midland Express to be an ethically based newspaper. He considers ethics to be of the utmost importance, often holding editorial meetings about the application of ethics, and discussing ethical issues in relation to certain stories before they are printed. He also states that the office of the Midland Express is accessible and that the whole community knows where it is located. "It means that a reader can just walk in and say I have an axe to grind‚" Gunn says. Metropolitan newspaper offices are less accessible and the public is usually barred from entering. Hamilton believes that rural newspapers are more accountable because there is less anonymity in a country town: "You live in the community and people know who you are. If you go down to the local pub, people there will be reading your paper...You can't hide in the country." She believes that journalists in metropolitan areas are just anonymous by-lines and are less likely to suffer for errors in their reporting. Hamilton states that the Port Lincoln Times strives to be accountable by printing a correction notice if inaccurate information is discovered in a story after the newspaper goes to print. Metropolitan newspapers do not always go to the same lengths to be accountable.

Rural newspapers are generally considered to be more conservative than other forms of media. Jackson believes that rural newspapers strive to be family-friendly, with the family readership serving as an influence on what editors include or omit, emphasise or play down in their newspapers. The newspaper, he asserts, must "be acceptable to as many households as possible and also to as many members of the household as are interested in reading a newspaper." This often means that certain topics such as sex crimes, scandals, gruesome violence and certain court cases are not reported. Jackson found that readers had different expectations of the local media to national media. While sex and sensation were tolerated in national newspapers, the local press was expected to have a separate family-value oriented identity. Port Lincoln Times appears to be a 'typical' rural newspaper in terms of conservatism. Hamilton acknowledges that her newspaper is family-friendly. "We've made the newspaper so that it can be read by kids, their parents and their grandparents," she says. Due to the higher level of religious affiliation in Port Lincoln, the newspaper includes more religious material. Certain topics such as suicides and court cases are not reported.

The latter, however, is not reported due to laws in South Australia prohibiting journalists from attending court cases, rather than conservative values. In contrast, the Midland Express rejects all notions of conservatism. "No issue is too taboo to cover...If it is news, it is properly sourced and properly written it will find a place," Gunn says. He points to two examples of stories published recently in the Midland Express, one involving a paedophile priest and another involving homosexuals. The first story was broken by the Midland Express and was later picked up by metropolitan newspapers. A conservative sector of the Catholic community was outraged by the story, claiming that the reporting was 'the work of the devil'. "We expect to affect people with certain stories but we don't deliberately do it. We're just concerned with reporting the truth." Gunn says.

The second story involved homosexuality among teenagers. Gunn says that he was recently asked if he would be willing to print an additional story featuring homosexual teenagers wearing T-shirts with 'I'm out' written on them. "As long as the teenagers realise that they will really be 'out' once the story runs, then I would be willing to do it," Gunn says. Overall, the assessment of rural newspapers as being conservative may apply to some newspapers, but as the Midland Express proves, not all rural newspapers are the same.

A recurring theme in academic research is the reluctance of the rural newspaper to provoke or report on conflict. Ian Ward believes that rural newspapers strive to minimise the reporting of conflict as it could undermine their roles as promoters of social cohesion and community identity. Weekly newspapers, in particular, tend to concentrate more on the consensus aspect of local issues in order to avoid social disruption which small communities, dependent on close-knit relationships, do not tolerate well. Smaller newspapers with smaller circulation figures are less likely than larger newspapers to report conflicts. However, larger newspapers also tend to report news which is likely to hold community consensus, such as local identities, community groups, industries, and sports teams.

This view is corroborated by Kirkpatrick who believes that rural newspapers are afraid of offending people. Newspapers feel that they cannot always publish both sides of a story, and that controversy is best avoided in case the reputation of a town is tainted. Norm Martyn, former editor of Mirboo North Times in Victoria believes that today's rural newspapers are "devoid of personality, [failing] to take issue of anything savouring of the contentious." Hamilton, however, asserts that the Port Lincoln Times is not afraid of reporting controversial issues. When asked how the newspaper handles the reporting of conflict, Hamilton says that an effort is made to obtain both sides of the story and to write a balanced article. "Occasionally we have to take into account the fact that we might offend certain people and cause strife in the community, so we sit down and discuss whether it's really worth doing," she says.

The smaller size of a country town often means that certain stories could be 'too close to home' for newspaper reporters. Hamilton believes that the benefit of having only four reporters for the Port Lincoln Times means that this is less likely to happen. Editorial meetings are sometimes held to discuss priorities in relation to controversial issues, but basically the Port Lincoln Times aims to include whatever is in the public interest. The Midland Express, as mentioned before, does not shy away from controversial issues, either. "We don't try to tell people what to think, we just provide them with the information, arming them with the capacity to think for themselves," Gunn says. Furthermore, Gunn does not feel restrained by a duty to uphold the town‚s reputation. "You should present the town as it is, warts and all...If you disown the truth, then you're just painting a false picture of your town," he says. Rural newspapers, then, are perhaps not as reluctant to report conflict and controversy as academic research suggests.

Rural newspapers are currently undergoing change, but are likely to remain an important part of their communities. Kirkpatrick speaks of the 'dumbing down' of content that has occurred in the British rural press, something that has resulted in shorter, brighter stories similar to those in tabloid newspapers. He believes that it is also occurring in Australian rural newspapers, especially those owned by large organisations like Rural Press Limited. A standardised approach to news, with an emphasis on cost-cutting is being imposed by these organisations. Arthur Christiansen, editor of the Daily Express in 1961, warned of using the technique for rural newspapers:
National [tabloid] newspaper technique does not go down well in provincial journalism. Local newspapers have a duty to be journals of local record and it is attheir peril that they neglect that responsibility in pursuit of 'bright' coverage.

Although the Port Lincoln Times is owned by Rural Press Limited, Hamilton believes that the geographical distance between the newspaper office and Rural Press Limited allows the Port Lincoln Times more freedom in governing its own content. Although some readers have expressed a preference for the tabloid style of shorter stories and more photographs, Hamilton has decided not to let her newspaper take that route. She believes that rural newspapers will "be around for a long time" as the value of local news is becoming increasingly recognised. She also believes that newspapers are able to cover news more effectively than television or the internet.

The Midland Express is an independent newspaper and Gunn is adamantly opposed to tabloidisation. He believes that the future is dim for rural newspapers turning to the tabloid style. "In rural areas, the readers are pretty critical. They will see through the tabloidisation sooner or later and it will show in the circulation figures," he says. For newspapers like the Midland Express, however, he believes that the future is promising. "As long as we don't take our eyes off where we're going, we should be fine," he says. It seems that rural newspapers will continue to play an important role in the lives of its readers, just as they have in the past. With their unique strengths lying in loyal readership, promotion of social cohesion and community identity, accountability and responsible reporting, the rural newspaper is likely to remain an unrivalled player in the media game.

Bibliography

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Gunn, Don. Editor of Midland Express. Telephone interview by author. Melbourne, Vic., 30 May 2003.
Hamilton, Jodie. Editor of Port Lincoln Times. Telephone interview by author. Melbourne, Vic., 3 June 2003.
Jackson, Ian. The Provincial Press and the Community. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1971.
Kirkpatrick, Rod. Covering Every Dogfight: A Century and a Half of Local News in the Provincial Press. Brisbane: University of Queensland, 2000.
Kirkpatrick, Rod. "The Mirror of Local Life: Country Newspapers, Country Values and Country Content." In Communication and Culture in Rural Areas. Edited by Perry Share. Wagga Wagga: Centre For Rural Social Research, 1995.
O'Connor, Brian. "The Paper Chase: Small, Local Newspapers Are Back, Beating the Big Publishers at Their Own Game." Australian Bush Press 1 (1998): 1, 4-5
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Stapely, Kathy. "Publishing a Paper in the ŒRelaxed‚ Tropical North." Australian Bush Press 1 (1998): 7
Ward, Ian. "The Country Press and Rural Conservatism." In Essays on Victorian Politics. Edited by P.R. Hay, J. Halligan, J. Warhurst and B. Coster. Warrnambool: Warrnambool Institute Press, 1985.
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Author contact: loralie_m@yahoo.com