Newspaper Redundancies

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Culture, Media and Sport – in the House of Commons am 2:30 pm ar 2 Mawrth 2009.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Andy Burnham Andy Burnham The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 2:30, 2 Mawrth 2009

I have a great deal of respect for the hon. Gentleman's view, but let me gently point out that we should not set up a conflict between online and in the hand. The world is changing out there, and we need to recognise that.

I agree with the hon. Gentleman wholeheartedly about the importance of trusted local names which help people to be discerning about the information that they are given. People trust local newspapers to be an impartial source of local information, like their local community. If they have the same reputation in the online world, some people are likely to feel more at home in that world, because they will know the background from which the information comes and the stance taken by the paper concerned. We must help local papers to make that migration into the online world, where the two media can live side by side.