Most of the public and academic debate over the media in Britain focuses on the national state-of-play - as a result, the local media are marginalised or ignored all-together. The second edition of What Do We mean By Local? (edited by John Mair and Richard Lance Keeble with Neil Fowler) tackles that problem head-on: both analysing and celebrating the local media - in its historical, national and international contexts - with all its extraordinary diversity and current dilemmas.

Bringing together the work of top academics and journalists, it amounts to the most comprehensive survey of local media in the UK ever published. A number of contributors highlight the rise of hyperlocals across the country. Could the industry be on the cusp of a revival?

Former Guardian editor Peter Preston focuses on the role newspapers still hold within local communities; David Baines deconstructs the industry’s narrative of victimisation while New York University academic Jay Rosen provides a US perspective, arguing for a ‘100 per cent solution for innovation in the news’. In addition, this edition of What Do We Mean By Local? incorporates many new and many updated chapters:

They include:
• Matthew Engel painting a colourful picture of his life and times in the industry
• ‘D Notice’ Secretary Andrew Vallance on the highs and lows of editing a parish magazine
• David Banks, former tabloid editor, on the pleasures of editing a free e-paper with 500 subscribers

Other contributors are:
Andrew Adamson, Marc Astley, Simon Bucks, Ian Carter, Jim Chisholm, Barnie Choudhury, Tor Clark,, Richard Coulter, Andrew David, Tim Dickens, Tom Felle, Neil Fowler, Alan Geere, Agnes Gulyas, Lee Hall, Ross Hawkes, David Hayward, David Jackman, Nick Jones, Thomas Joseph, Stuart Littleford, Anthony Longden, Tim Luckhurst, James Marley, John Meehan, Chris Oakley CBE, Damian Radcliffe, Mike Rawlins, Paul Robertson, Max Sydney-Smith, Bob Satchwell, Richard Tait CBE, Sir Ray Tindle and Mark Woodward

“Totally fascinating for anyone committed to, or interested in, the importance of regional reporting and accountability”
Michael Wilson, Managing Director of UTV Television