The local press is popularly thought of as conservative, technologically backward, and obsessively parochial. In What News?, Bob Franklin and David Murphy argue that this perception is long out-of-date. Comprising not only traditional evening and weekly paid newspapers, but also newer and often more vital elements--free newspapers and the alternative press--the local press is a significant component both in local media networks and in the context of the British press as a whole.

What News? examines recent developments which have brought radical change to the local press. The proliferation of free newspapers, the introduction of new printing technology, and an increasing concentration of newspaper ownership are investigated and related to the wider context of the national media.

Combining statistical information, lucid analysis, and detailed case studies, What News? surveys the role and future prospects for the local press in the 1990s. Students and teachers of media and communication studies, journalism, politics, and social studies will find this book an invaluable resource.