Cost of local papers

[happy_83]

This may seem like an odd subject, but how come the local papers cost so much?

I was shocked to see on friday that the copy of the JOGJ i picked up was 65p and i think the Caithness Courier is about the same. Yet you can get the Saturday Press & Journal for 45p and it has loads of local and national news and a tv guide for the week!

Don't get me wrong i like reading the local news / supporting the community but i do think sometimes we're getting a bit ripped off. Also whilst on the subject why is there two papers???

[Cattach]

This may seem like an odd subject, but how come the local papers cost so much?

I was shocked to see on friday that the copy of the JOGJ i picked up was 65p and i think the Caithness Courier is about the same. Yet you can get the Saturday Press & Journal for 45p and it has loads of local and national news and a tv guide for the week!

Don't get me wrong i like reading the local news / supporting the community but i do think sometimes we're getting a bit ripped off. Also whilst on the subject why is there two papers???

Ecomomies of scale and higher advertsing costs give the big papers the edge. Local papers are a good read at 65p. Try buying much else for that price - bar of chocolate costs nearly as much, a coke in the cafe more, a computer mag two, three, four or five times as much, and lots of other things are a bigger rip off.

And where would you find all about your neighbours misdemeanors for that price!

[crashbandicoot1979]

I wish they would make the paper smaller. I have to spread it on the floor to read it and the cat always plonks himself in the middle of it!!!!

I'm not sure why theres 2 papers either, I tend just to buy the Courier.

[LENSMAN]

What I like is when Christmas lands on a Friday so they take the Groat out on a Wednesday obviously because it has a higher circulation and it costs more!!!!!!!!!!

[dragonfly]

sure it used to be that JOG Journal was for the Wick news and Caithness Courier for Thurso news - that may just be fantasy though :confused

[Cattach]

I wish they would make the paper smaller. I have to spread it on the floor to read it and the cat always plonks himself in the middle of it!!!!

I'm not sure why theres 2 papers either, I tend just to buy the Courier.

I am told that having one paper would not be viable. Businesses mostly advertise in both papers but if there was only one paper it could half the company's advertising revenue.

[Rheghead]

This may seem like an odd subject, but how come the local papers cost so much?

I was shocked to see on friday that the copy of the JOGJ i picked up was 65p and i think the Caithness Courier is about the same. Yet you can get the Saturday Press & Journal for 45p and it has loads of local and national news and a tv guide for the week!

Don't get me wrong i like reading the local news / supporting the community but i do think sometimes we're getting a bit ripped off. Also whilst on the subject why is there two papers???

The local papers imo have less content than some free or 'advertiser' style papers in other parts of the country. It speaks volumes to me that when the comment was made that 1 local paper per week is not viable due to advertising income.

George Gunn is a sanctimonious, idealistic communist. Bill Paterson is ok though his columns are rarely local in nature. Ralph MacGegor writes a good article but is also sanctimonious about about how he thinks walkers should treat the countryside. I enjoy Bruce Sandison's column.

THe Brims saga never gets read, so why is it getting published?

A good local rag but a tad expensive.

[Bingobabe]

At £4.70 for a read, the Groat certainly is a tad too expensive!!!

[lasher]

What a bunch of moaners, 65p is hardly going to break the bank!!

[_Ju_]

This may seem like an odd subject, but how come the local papers cost so much?

I was shocked to see on friday that the copy of the JOGJ i picked up was 65p and i think the Caithness Courier is about the same. Yet you can get the Saturday Press & Journal for 45p and it has loads of local and national news and a tv guide for the week!

Don't get me wrong i like reading the local news / supporting the community but i do think sometimes we're getting a bit ripped off. Also whilst on the subject why is there two papers???

The smaller the number printed, the higher the price. The smaller the business adverising in the paper, the higher the price charged for the paper. The smaller the community of reader, the higher the price.

[changilass]

Easy answer - if you don't like the price, don't buy it.

Harder answer - if you think you could put a paper out for less, start one of your own.