Whanganui - What we miss when we miss out on local news

Major news media outfits have cut back in the regions in recent years. That doesn't just leave locals worse off - it also means all New Zealanders miss out on important ideas, events and perspectives. But even though the media's margins are tight, intrepid publishers and people are still doing the business there. Mediawatch checks in on Whanganui to find out how their media are doing - and how they're doing it.Major news media outfits have cut back in the regions in recent years. That doesn't just leave locals worse off - it also means all New Zealanders miss out on important ideas, events and perspectives. But even though the media's margins are tight, intrepid publishers and people are still doing the business there. Mediawatch checks in on Whanganui to find out how their media are doing - and how they're doing it.​At the front desk of the River City Press in Whanganui, John and Sandra Singleton are lining up to buy ads.She's a psychic numerologist. He's there to drum up interest in his local jazz orchestra. "With us, you can either come listen to music or have your bumps read, so it's either/or," says John."I don't do bumps!" retorts Sandra. "Be careful what you say, my boy."The Singletons have their quirks. For one thing, Singleton may not be their real name. They tell Mediawatch they chose it, perhaps to save people the hassle of memorising a double-barrelled surname. Despite having the same last name, the couple are only just about to get married after 59 years together."We've just been trying one another," says John. If they've taken their time committing to their relationship, they've had no trouble making a financial commitment to the Press.They're both regular advertisers in the free weekly paper - and far from the only ones. When Mediawatch comes to visit, the paper's only front page story is wedged between ads for electricians, plumbers, mechanics, vocational training and half-price mattresses.In an office next to a rusting old bicycle, its sole reporter, the 71-year-old former teacher Doug Davidson, is working on a story about a pair of local musicians. Debbie Jarrett.His job is the result of a late career change. He'd been teaching for about 20 years when he saw a reporter role at the Press advertised and applied on a whim."They considered that an older person might be a better fit for a community newspaper," he says."I think it suits the older clientele, but also after 20 or 30 years in a town you make a lot of contacts, and they can be very important."…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details