Don’t blame the BBC for the death spiral of local news

Local papers are dropping like flies – and it’s fashionable to blame the Beeb and Big Tech for swatting them. But the corporation is part of the solution, not the problem, argues Alan Rusbridger

The US has nothing remotely like the BBC, and yet its local newspapers are in even more desperate trouble (PA Archive)

Imagine the following scenario. Britain’s national newspapers are on their knees financially and, one by one, decide they can no longer afford to staff costly offices at Westminster. Parliamentary and Whitehall coverage is, for the foreseeable future, cancelled.

Now imagine the consequences. Hands up all those who think our democracy would be stronger. No, I didn’t think so. Hands up all those who think there would be a surge of corruption, dodgy contracts, dubious appointments, financial wrongdoing, general incompetence and laxness. Well, quite.