The Groat and Courier

[jaykay]

I bought yesterdays Caithness Courier and to be honest there was next to no news in it. I would have thought that Caithness is not big enough to sustain two weekly newspapers and that both should be amalgameted into one weekly issue. I always buy both but have noticed that at least half of the articles and adverts are repeated. I for one would prefer if I only had to buy one decent local paper each week rather than two fairly poor papers.
Does anyone else agree or am I on my own with this one?

[souperman]

Totally agree, one paper would be plenty, and tabloid size would be a bonus like the P&J on a Saturday.

[henry20]

Personally, I think 1 paper would be good, but I reckon it would have to cost more than the groat & courier combined as they would lose their income from the people that advertise in both. Would anybody really want to pay £1.50+ for the local newspaper? I wouldn't.

[Piglet]

My mother gets the Northern times aswell & half the articles & pictures in that are the same as the groat & courier.

[Kingetter]

Its no surprise that news can be hard to come by and leads to papers publishing items which some find distasteful(?) - http://forum.caithness.org/showthread.php?t=16422
but what do they put in their place? More advertising? That's a turnoff to many. However, does all whatever good news is around get reported? That surely is up to Joe Public.
What kind of news do people think is missing?

Personally, I find I generally get all I need from http://www.caithness.org/

[weeboyagee]

However, does all whatever good news is around get reported?

Answer = No.

The papers would be far better amalgamated. It would help bring a them and us together - Thurso and Wick - traditionally being supportive of the two different papers - Courier in Thurso, Groat in Wick (but more read by the ex-pat as well). Compare the two with other newspapers of the same ilk - Northern Times, West Highland Free Press, Oban Times, Stornoway Gazette, Orkney's local and Shetland's local - we are out of touch. We have similar sizes of community but not the same quality of press. I buy all the local press from the afore mentioned areas (except Orkney and Shetland) to keep me in touch with what's going on in the Gaelic world and we are LAST in the quality of news articles and portrayal of local community news IMHO of course.

Not all that gets drawn to the media's attention is reported.

For the record - there was a fair representation of this County at the Royal National Mod. Every newspaper was there (well nearly) National and Local - BBC vans by the score, press reporters and photographers by the score, and before everyone says that WE are NOT a traditionally Gaelic speaking area this county, like it or not, was well represented there! Did you hear of it in the local press? No. You got it on the org. You would have read the results in the P&J first. No request was made to the press office on how we or anyone else did or to keep anyone in the county informed. Unless it happens in the back yard of Caithness and on this side of the ord or is reported first in the National press and then boots the local press into action on this side of the ord - you are unlikely to ever know about it. And don't even start me on the radio coverage that was offered IN ENGLISH - I got my ear full of it at the Mod!!!! Both from the independent radio coverage and the BBC.

You want my brutal opinion - caithness.org is faster, more responsive, carries every piece of news that you want to know (as well as every piece of news you don't want to know!), has better and a greater number of pictures, covers every class of feature - I think you all know what I am saying. All we need now is a hatches, matches and dispatches official org site and the Groat and Courier will disappear. Their staff are great though - Noel, Karen etc, would hate to see them out of a job but the idea of the continuing two paper county is old fashioned, non-representative and with the greatest of respect ineffective for the local community.

Amalgamate the papers or not - who's going to run the poll?

[Niall Fernie]

All we need now is a hatches, matches and dispatches official org site and the Groat and Courier will disappear.

H, M & D -> http://forum.caithness.org/forumdisplay.php?f=19

Wedding photos -> http://www.caithness.org/weddings/index.php

[jaykay]

Answer = No.

The papers would be far better amalgamated. It would help bring a them and us together - Thurso and Wick - traditionally being supportive of the two different papers - Courier in Thurso, Groat in Wick (but more read by the ex-pat as well). Compare the two with other newspapers of the same ilk - Northern Times, West Highland Free Press, Oban Times, Stornoway Gazette, Orkney's local and Shetland's local - we are out of touch. We have similar sizes of community but not the same quality of press. I buy all the local press from the afore mentioned areas (except Orkney and Shetland) to keep me in touch with what's going on in the Gaelic world and we are LAST in the quality of news articles and portrayal of local community news IMHO of course.

Not all that gets drawn to the media's attention is reported.

For the record - there was a fair representation of this County at the Royal National Mod. Every newspaper was there (well nearly) National and Local - BBC vans by the score, press reporters and photographers by the score, and before everyone says that WE are NOT a traditionally Gaelic speaking area this county, like it or not, was well represented there! Did you hear of it in the local press? No. You got it on the org. You would have read the results in the P&J first. No request was made to the press office on how we or anyone else did or to keep anyone in the county informed. Unless it happens in the back yard of Caithness and on this side of the ord or is reported first in the National press and then boots the local press into action on this side of the ord - you are unlikely to ever know about it. And don't even start me on the radio coverage that was offered IN ENGLISH - I got my ear full of it at the Mod!!!! Both from the independent radio coverage and the BBC.

You want my brutal opinion - caithness.org is faster, more responsive, carries every piece of news that you want to know (as well as every piece of news you don't want to know!), has better and a greater number of pictures, covers every class of feature - I think you all know what I am saying. All we need now is a hatches, matches and dispatches official org site and the Groat and Courier will disappear. Their staff are great though - Noel, Karen etc, would hate to see them out of a job but the idea of the continuing two paper county is old fashioned, non-representative and with the greatest of respect ineffective for the local community.

Amalgamate the papers or not - who's going to run the poll?

Not sure how you go about running a poll and even if we did would North of Scotland papers listen!

[gleeber]

I support the Groat and the Courier. When I was a kid it's true that the Groat was more for Wick and the Courier for Thurso but not any more. Caithness.org is a different animal to the local newspapers although I would be interested to know if it has made any difference to the sales of the local newspapers.
I was surprised the local paper missed the Mod in its coverage and Weeboyagee has a legitimate gripe with that omission. Perhaps a letter to the editor to be included in the letters page may be an appropriate response?
That being said the Groat and the Courier will always be on my weekly list

[Ann]

I agree with Gleeber; not everyone has a computer or the time to sit at it if they have. Older people (of which there is quite a few in Caithness!) enjoy their local newspaper and even a lot of younger (ish) folks don't have computers. Also those people who have the papers sent to them outwith the county feel that it is a physical connection with their homeland.

I totally agree that the org covers it all and for that I thank the team responsible but we have to keep our Groat and Courier and maybe it is time that more people made the reporters aware of what is going on.

It's like a lot of people come on here and complain about a service but don't always bring it to the attention of the service provider.

[willowbankbear]

Does Caithness.org report all the court cases? Half the folk I ken just buy the Groat for a giggle at some of the local heroes getting their name in print for the wrong reasons, Its hardly for the reporting skills me thinks.:cool:

[Whitewater]

I'm all for the local papers, although I usually gurn a bit after I've read them saying "same old rubbish every week", but I would not be without them. Keeps me up to date with the all the news on the local heroes, letters on current affairs etc. and also the hatches and dispatches. (I notice as I get older I'm attending more funerals).

Caithness org is excellent, I always have a look at the front page whenever I go online. The org is great for all the people around the world who wish to find out what has been happening in the county, and they can always have a bit fun by joining in the chat and debates when they feel like it.

The org is improving all the time, thanks to the dedicated team. They have instant access to the opinions on the forum and also can be sent emails, it keeps them up to date with the feelings and requirements of the inhabitants of the county.

The local press is more dependant on its small team of reporters who do their best but can't cover it all and they do miss out on many items which we regard as news worthy. Do they depend on us making a phone call? I don't know. I have also noticed that the editor has a bias on certain subjects.

However, having said that, there are many people around who enjoy reading a newspaper, seeing the local photos in print and reading adout the local characters. My wife keeps a scrap book for our grandsons, whenever they are mentioned for whatever reason, be it cubs, football, swimming etc. the particular section is carefully removed and placed in the book for what will someday be priceless memories for them.

So lets keep both papers, but get more news into them, particularly items which are of little or no interest in the national press.

[MagicalTrevor]

Agree with most things said here.. Including its a tinklers who's who and there are loads of old folk without computers that love the local rags... Another thing is a lot of people in 9-5 jobs need their courier/groat fix to help get them through the week! Quality is always going to be an issue in such a small community...

Oh yeah there are a lot of good features in the kind of middle pages and of course the sports coverage (no offence BIll etc [:P]) is a lot better in the groat but obviously this is because these papers make money.

[henry20]

Not to worry Jaykay, if the weather keeps up, we won't get any local papers tomorrow :(

[weeboyagee]

I was surprised the local paper missed the Mod in its coverage and Weeboyagee has a legitimate gripe with that omission. Perhaps a letter to the editor to be included in the letters page may be an appropriate response?


maybe it is time that more people made the reporters aware of what is going on.

Ann, the Groat were notified on the 13th of September of the results from the Mull Mod and the dates, place, and competitors competing in the Royal National Mod. I can sympathise with the fact that they will not know of the periodic local events. Don't get me wrong, the Groat have always supported us as best they can but there is no need for the two papers, any economist can see that as plain as the nose on their face.

The Groat have been good supporters of all the Gaelic news when notified, it would have been nice to see them follow up on the information they were given before hand. :(

[MagicalTrevor]

Any economist with a nose on his face would argue that 2 weekly papers will make more money than 1. Considering circulation for both is extremely high there is clearly a market for both so the papers are just satisfying the market. The question is quality and content which if an issue in the long term could lead to loss in sales. However due to the religious-like purchasing of the 2 papers in the county (despite the arguable bad content) there is no reason for change.

[jaykay]

My question was whether the Groat and Courier should be amalgamated to give us one decent weekly local newspaper not whether Caithness.org can replace the local newspaper! Caithness.org will not replace the local paper for the reasons already highlighted. At least not until us older readers die out!!

[Rheghead]

A paper like the courier and groat should be a free paper that generates its income via advertising only.

[MagicalTrevor]

I disagree Rheghead - that will turn the paper into glossy flyer type things - not only losing its character/heritage but becoming a servant of advertising cash. Questions would no doubt eventually be raised against the partiality of the paper.

[scorrie]

Does Caithness.org report all the court cases? Half the folk I ken just buy the Groat for a giggle at some of the local heroes getting their name in print for the wrong reasons, Its hardly for the reporting skills me thinks.:cool:

Very true!!

Another thing is that ye canna wipe the old Rodney Marsh wi the org efter the Andrex Puppy's made off wi e last roll!!

[badger]

I agree that one paper would be plenty and I wouldn't mind paying a little bit more, but not double. I do take both but would much prefer one.

[The Pepsi Challenge]

Due to Alan Hendry's perennial narcissism, the Caithness Courier/ John O' Groat Journal will never revert to a tabloid-sized paper. The "one minute silence" as it's referred to (in my house anyway) merely feeds of the fact that its readers just HAVE to see what's "goin' on", thus will continue to buy the paper out of habit and sheer nosieness. The standard of journalism is decent enough - Gordon Calder and the other dude who freelances for the P&J (I forget his name) are seasoned professionals - however the editorial is well off the pace. Caithness.org, as rightly pointed out, covers practically everything that goes on within Caithness (and beyond, too, sometimes), the only downer is that it will never become a printed publication. Or will it? Anyway, the local papers are out of touch, in the main, with what's going on. It seems too many at the paper are content to do the bare minimum. And that's just a small part of the problem. I, however, will continue to stick my shneb in whenever the paper should fall into my lap... just to see what's "goin' on", of course.