Closure of 189-year-old newspaper delivered to Westminster: DUP brings bid to have folded Down Recorder discussed in House of Commons
A newspaper’s end after 189 years serving its community has been delivered to the House of Commons.
The Down Recorder folded last week after close to two centuries as a pillar of its part of the county, its owners blaming economic pressures affecting all local newspapers.
A DUP MP has now launched a bid to have Westminster officially voice its sorrow at the Downpatrick-based newspaper shutting its doors for good, lodging an early day motion to have the issue debated.
Southern sections of Jim Shannon’s Strangford constituency were covered by the Down Recorder, leading him to become a regular reader. He says he’s dismayed by its loss, especially as it was such a traditional part of life in its area.
“This really does seem to be a real message to people – if we do not support local businesses, then we will lose them,” he said.
The national papers are wonderful, though they can never give that local flavour, the local victories and the local stories that we all need to hear. The fact that we have lost this paper must serve as a warning to us all.”
In addition to voicing the House of Commons’ collective “sadness” at the closure, Mr Shannon’s motion would also see parliament voice concerns that a “locally driven community that was fostered through this wonderful publication” will be lost, as well as passing the best wishes of MPs to its staff.
Said the DUP MP: “I, along with so many others, will miss reading the Down Recorder and that local touch – and I hope that we will all support our print local news with a renewed enthusiasm.
“My very best wishes to every staff member in the Down Recorder, thank you for all you did for your community.”
Started in December 1836, the newspaper was owned by a single family, the Crichtons, for four generations. Last Friday, its proprietors announced an edition published two days earlier was the last time the weekly paper rolled off the presses.
Speaking to the News Letter at the time, director Malcom Crichton blamed industry-wide pressures for the closure.
“We want to thank our loyal staff and the whole community for everything they’ve done,” he said, “but all weekly papers – all papers, in fact – are under severe pressure.”