Why local papers count: King's Lynn title raises £100,000 in 11 months

Lynn News front Lynn News announces its baby care appeal success

I am running an occasional series devoted to showing why local journalism is both good for communities and necessary to sustain democracy.

Local newspaper editors routinely act for the public benefit and I am seeking to highlight examples, whether they happen to be holding power to account, providing essential information or running public service campaigns.

Today's "Why local papers count" concerns a campaign by the Lynn News, the twice-weekly title, published by Johnston Press, that circulates in the western half of Norfolk.

Its editor, Malcolm Powell, picked up on readers' worries about the poor state of the baby care facilities at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in King's Lynn. So he launched a campaign to raise £150,000 to help fund vital improvements to the department.

When he first published the "Special Care Baby Appeal" 11 months ago he expected it to be a slow process. But it has already hit what he calls "a magic milestone" by reaching £100,000.

He told me: "We just never expected to get here so quickly. We knew it would be a popular cause, but the response has been magnificent."

Now he is running full pages in the hope that the appeal will attain its target very quickly indeed. He also offered praise to reporter Louise Brain for her work as the appeal co-ordinator.

"We are really playing an enabler role," he said. "It is the community that deserves the praise. They are the ones donating the money."

I like that term "enabler role". It is a perfect example of the way in which a local newspaper can act as a central focus for community action.

The fund-raising response should also been seen in the context of the size of Lynn News's circulation. Together, its Tuesday and Friday issues (cover price: 55p) sell about 47,000. And there is some overlap because a fair few readers buy both.

For what it's worth, Lynn News is the best-selling twice-weekly title in the country. But the real value of the paper lies in its commitment to its own communities, and that doesn't always mean concentrating on negative news. The latest issue, for instance, splashes on the giant turn-out for a charity fun run.

(Sources: holdthefrontpage/personal interview)

Today's best video