Your East Riding - new council magazine for residents

YOUR EAST RIDING is the new quarterly magazine produced by East Riding of Yorkshire Council. It replaces the monthly East Riding News and in the first edition Leader of the Council, Stephen Parnaby admits that it represents a considerable saving for the authority.

"In the current economic times Your East Riding also offers the council a considerable cost saving as we have reduced publication from monthly to quarterly and changed the way the publication is distributed. We feel it is important to continue with a regular publication as it is still the most cost effective way to communicate with you, our residents, about key council services and initiatives"

The 32-page publication is being distributed locally at the moment and is sub-titled the Holderness Edition with local contacts for councillors included. There are perhaps 8 pages printed with specific Holderness related items included. It will be interesting to see if the volume of this locally targeted content increases in the future.

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Last issue of East Riding Council's monthly newspaper?

EAST RIDING NEWS, the East Riding Council's monthly newspaper has just been circulated to resident households in the Holderness area. But the current December 2010 edition could be the last issue ever in the current format.

As reported in September, the Government has clamped down on what it sees as "frivolous town hall propaganda papers" and limited the publication of Council newspapers to only four issues in each year. The Government will publish a new 'Code' for council publications to follow in the New Year.

Councillor Stephen Parnaby, Leader of the East Riding Council, has stated: "East Riding News has been one of the most cost effective and key channels of communicating with all residents on a monthly basis for the last 13 years. However, we must abide by the new code and await the announcement from the Government."

The East Riding is expected to produce a new quarterly publication as a magazine.

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Council's East Riding News under threat?

THE GOVERNMENT is set to implement a clamp down on "frivolous town hall propaganda papers" according to early reports from the BBC.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles (pictured) has indicated plans to restrict council newspapers which he claimed threatened the viability of the independent local press and had led to public money to be spent on "frivolous town hall propaganda".

Under proposed changes to be announced today (29th September 2010), town halls would be allowed to publish such municipal newspapers, containing only factual information, four times a year.

We wait to see what the implications for this will be for the local council monthly newspaper. East Riding News as previously reported on HU12 is distributed every month to 148,664 homes at a total cost of £573,277 in 2008/09. The majority of this cost was offset by advertising revenue amounting to £556,228. It is this kind of advertising revenue which Government says should be going towards supporting the local independent press.

The current September issue of East Riding News is reproduced as a Scribd document (any difficulties viewing this? Please let us know) at the following link:ERN Sept 2010
More information at the Department of Communities and Local Government.

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East Riding Public Transport Guide - need to request your copy!

THE EAST RIDING PUBLIC TRANSPORT GUIDE published recently by the Council will not be delivered directly to every home. The useful free guide published twice a year contains comprehensive information on bus, train, taxi and community transport services in the East Riding. Previous issues have been distributed to over 146,600 homes in the region.

In a cost-cutting move the Council will now only distribute the guide to libraries, customer service centres and other public buildings. The new arrangement constitutes part of a number of changes expected as the East Riding Council reviews the way it communicates with residents.

More publications and information will be published online rather than in printed form and the council's main monthly publication East Riding News is likely to undergo changes to its format, style and frequency. See: What do we currently pay for our free newspaper?

NOTE: Copies of the Public Tranport Guide will be posted out to those residents who request a copy. You need to send an e-mail to passenger.services@eastriding.gov.uk and put 'Transport Guide' in the subject header or write to:

Transport Guide
Passenger Services
Annie Reed Road
Beverley
HU17 0LF

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East Riding News - What do we pay for our free newspaper?

BEFORE PARLIAMENT DISSOLVED the Culture, Media and Sport Committee produced a report on the Future of local and Regional Media. The report recommended that the Office of Fair Trading should conduct a review specifically on the impact of council publications like East Riding News and Hull in Print on commercial local newspapers. Council tax payers pick up the bill for editing, designing, printing and distribution of such publications.

The report states that most council publications are legitimate communications from a council to its citizens but some can pose a competitive threat to local commercial newspapers. Also council papers should not be used as a vehicle for political propoganda.

In light of this HU12 is reproducing from the Hedon Blog the following article about the costs associated with publishing East Riding of Yorkshire Council's East Riding News:

AS A RESULT of a Freedom of Information Request the East Riding Council has released the following information about the council newspaper East Riding News:

1. East Riding News distributed monthly to 148,664 homes in the East Riding.
2. The total expenditure cost for  production and distribution for 2008/2009 was £573,277.69.
3. Of the £573,277.69 spent, £556,228.29 was offset by advertising.
4. Of the £556,228.29 generated through advertising in 2008/2009, £135,000 comes from external sources.
5. Other public sector partners that pay to run advertising in East Riding News are; Hull City Council, Hull College, NHS East Riding, East Riding College, Humberside Fire and Rescue,
   Bishop Burton College, Humberside Police Authority, Wilberforce College, Humberside Police, Wyke College, Sure Start, Hull University, Lincoln University, Connexions, Amy Recruitment, MORE project.
6. Recruitment advertising forms part of the advertising in the newspaper.
   
7. There is no editorial policy guide to govern the material which is placed in the newspaper.
8. There is no advertising policy guide to govern the sort of advertising which is suitable for the newspaper.
9. Nine people are employed to put the newspaper together. However, it must be stressed that each member of staff is not dedicated to the production of East Riding News which forms a relatively small part of their work.  The total time added together represents approximately one full-time employee at salary £16,830/annum.  All staff have additional roles and responsibilities.

The full information relating to this Freedom of Information request is available at Council Newspaper - WhatDoTheyKnow

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East Riding News for March 2010

East Riding News is available here to download as a PDF document (4mb).

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