Introduction

In his study of the local newspaper press, Bob Franklin (2006) has suggested that one of the functions of local newspapers is to provide independent and critical commentary on issues of local concern as well as refracting national debates through regional and local perspectives. In addition to their significant democratic function, local newspapers are important in the reflection of distinctive regional identities which have enabled them to carve out a distinguishing role in the construction of ‘the local’. Always with an eye on the national news agenda, the local press has sought to present national and local news to its target audience with a locally distinctive voice which is closely tied to conceptions of place and belonging, for commercial gain. Indeed, in their analysis of the provincial press during the interwar period, Bromley and Hayes (2002) identify both the commercial and democratic dimension of the local press, suggesting that the local press at this time was key in constructing ‘civic publics’ which sought to carve out the parameters of both class and regional identity. As Matthews states:

Of course, national newspapers have long been considered key agents in the formation of national identity and reinforcement of social class (Anderson 1991; Conboy 2004; Bingham and Conboy, 2015), yet questions concerning the way in which the regional press reflects and reinforces both regional and class identity remain relatively underexplored. Perspectives on the editorial dynamics of the regional press have generally sought to emphasise the relative lack of independence of local newspapers from the editorial constraints of their corporate owners, who, in addition to seeking commercial gain, also seek to eschew accusations of parochialism and retain a national resonance (Murphy 1998; Glover, 1998).