Remember when the town's newspaper set the tone for a community? Each week we would wait to see who was on the front page and what event had flung them into the limelight. Who was the best footballer in the town and who was the local hero; which kids were going to grow up and be rocket scientists, and which had grown up to graffiti the toilets.

Everything that had happened and everything that was going to happen was there each week for everyone in the community to see, know about, and discuss. We were all on the same page as such, and we all had the opportunity to support each other and know each other through the local 'rag'.

The internet signaled the death knell for many papers and along with it the single point of community knowledge and wisdom that provided a subtle yet important role for all rural communities in binding us together and keeping us informed about what was important.

Does the death of a town's newspaper have an effect? Does it really matter? Join me for a discussion with Damian Morgan, the man who has resurrected over 30 rural newspapers because he believes they are an integral part of the fabric of any rural community and wants to ensure they continue to a play role in informing and bringing together communities through the good times and the bad.


https://damianmorgan.com.au/

Damian Morgan

Damian Morgan is partner and director of the Today News Group which publishes 30 independent newspapers (and online news) across regional Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Introducing the Rural Psychologist Podcast