In an article on 28 June their ABC lamented the loss of local Murdoch rags, claiming, inter alia that ‘accountability’ of local government would be prejudiced by the closure of regional ‘newspapers’ https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/pm/fears-local-councils,-authorities-wont-be-held-accountable/12297950

They went on to say that this would ‘leave a hole’ in local communities. While the first claim is palpable nonsense, there is something to the second claim. Right now, the distribution of the local rags are are literally an exercise in systematic, industrial-scale littering

so to the extent they cease, there will be some holes in local landfills that the junk mail that comes through letterboxes just can’t fill. The main mode of delivery of this trash is from a car window and aimed at driveways. Were it anything but something that could pretend to be

a local ‘newspaper’ it would be in violation of the protection of the Environment Act 1999 which exemlts ‘newspaoers’ from the litter laws. Traditionally, these bits of garbage are left on footpaths to decompose, which process is assisted by the application of urine from passing

dogs. Civic-minded as I am, I used to tour the local area collecting these in abandoned shopping trolleys on garbage nights throwing them into the void spaces in otto bins. The oldest rag I ever found was six months old. Sometimes of course they would go into stormwater drains

with uncertain impacts on the local catchments. Doubtless the closure and switch to digital will put a dent in Australia’s carbon emissions. The reality is that few people these days pay attention to these rags and the principal reason they have survived has been advertising of

local real estate. This, rather than their connection with the legions of shonky developers infesting councils, typically coalition higher honours wannabees, is the real story in their relationship to ‘accountability’ in local government. While their readership may be poor,

began their separation from honest professional journalism in local rags much as those who entered politics withsome nebulous notion of ‘community service’ lost their integrity in local government. You only have to attend council meetings to see that — like ‘student council’

from everyone’s university days with the outlandishly naive and idealistic being replaced by utter fools, developer sleaze-bags and obnoxious trolls — with newspapers as their outdoor lounge.

Personally, I see this as a modest blow for, if not improved public discourse, then one with less scat from political criminals in it. As one commentator on the ABC noted, the ‘business model for journalism‘ is now unviable. A new intellectually and ethically robust model

is needed to address the multiple crises that mainstream ‘journalism’ has ignored for decades, fearing the wrath of the malign old white-men declaring what words will earn you a living or get you sacked. There simply is no way that touts and spruikers can fund work that serves

a public good. This can be done in practice only by those with skills in investigation, public policy and the determination to find the provenance of poor behaviour by those holding power.