This week has seen Jeremy Hunt outline Conservative plans to breathe new life into local media through ‘Big Bang’ deregulation of ownership. That noted, it seems an appropriate moment to emphasise what is at stake as methods of saving Britain’s local papers – half of which are believed to be in danger of sinking in the next five years - are tabled.

George Monbiot recently argued that local papers have ceased to contribute positively to communities, deriding them as “Britain's most potent threats to democracy, championing the overdog, misrepresenting democratic choices, defending business, the police and local elites from those who seek to challenge them.”

This has absolutely not been my experience as I skim through local ‘rags’ each morning to compile Total Politics’ Regional Round-Up. Failings of local councils, or controversies individual councillors are embroiled in, are continually pointed out by the a regional press, which produce anything but “propaganda sheets”.

Whether they are proposing to sell-off green sites, failing to provide adequate public services, or are planning an unwelcome development, the local press hold local authorities to account.

The Luton and Dunstable Express’ campaign to ‘Get Moran Out Now’ is surely a prime example of the power of a local publication to cultivate a sense of community, whilst at the same time disrupting the established order.

Nevertheless, I think Monbiot makes a cogent point about the threat to independence and original thought posed by the consolidation of local papers – he cites Sir Ray Tindle, who’s Cambrian News owns 230 papers, and who instructed his editors “to ensure that nothing appears in your newspapers which attacks the decision to conduct the war” upon invasion of Iraq.

While I disagree with Monbiot’s sorry assessment of things as they stand, I fear that if seen through Hunt’s proposals may give it a greater grounding in reality.

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