It’s 11:30pm on a Tuesday
And I’m sitting here, in my flat in Toxteth, staring at my screen. I should be sleeping. But I can’t. Because I’m pissed off. Again.
You see, just now, I was trying to find out what’s actually happening in our city. And it’s a nightmare. It’s 2024, and finding reliable local news is harder than finding a decent pint of bitter in a Wetherspoons.
Let me tell you about Marcus
Let’s call him Marcus. He’s a friend of mine, lives in Bootle. Last week, he texted me, all frantic. “Have you heard about the new development plans for the docks?” I hadn’t. So I did what any self-respecting news junkie would do. I Googled.
And that’s where the problem starts. The first few results? National news sites. Then some dodgy blogs. Then, buried under all that, a tiny article from a local paper. But it was from three months ago. Out of date. Useless.
This is a big deal, honestly
Look, I get it. News is tough. Journalism is dying. Blah blah blah. But this isn’t just about journalists not getting paid enough (which, by the way, is a scandal). This is about our city. Our community. Our lives.
I remember, back in 2008, when the old Liverpool Echo offices were still buzzing. You’d walk in, and the energy was electric. Reporters rushing around, editors shouting, printers whirring. It was chaos. But it was alive. Now? It’s a ghost town.
And it’s not just Liverpool. It’s everywhere. Local news is disappearing. And with it, our ability to hold power to account. To know what’s happening in our own backyards.
But here’s the thing…
Liverpool Daily isn’t perfect. Far from it. But it’s a start. It’s a glimmer of hope in a sea of bad news.
I was talking to a colleague named Dave the other day. Over coffee at that place on 5th. You know the one. “Dave,” I said, “what’s the point of all this?” He looked at me, all serious. “It’s about committment, mate. To the city. To the people.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But it’s not enough to just exist. We need to be better. Faster. More relevant. And that’s where you come in.
So, what can we do?
First, we need to support local journalism. Not just by reading it, but by paying for it. Subscriptions, donations, whatever. It’s like that self improvement daily habits guide I read last week. You gotta put your money where your mouth is.
Second, we need to demand better. From ourselves, from our friends, from our communities. We need to ask questions. Challenge narratives. Hold people accountable.
And third, we need to remember why this matters. It’s not just about news. It’s about identity. It’s about belonging. It’s about knowing who we are and where we come from.
A quick tangent: The time I met John Lennon’s cousin
Okay, this isn’t really relevant, but bear with me. About three years ago, I was at a conference in Austin. Met this guy, turned out he was John Lennon’s cousin. We got talking about Liverpool, and he said something that stuck with me. “It’s a physicaly place,” he said. “But it’s also a state of mind.” And that’s what we’re fighting for here. The state of mind.
Back to the point
So, yeah. That’s it. That’s the rant. The plea. The whatever. I’m not sure if I’ve made any sense. But I hope so. Because this is important. And it’s not gonna fix itself.
So, what’s next? I don’t know. But I know it starts with us. With you. With Liverpool Daily. And with the belief that, even in the darkest times, there’s always a light. Somewhere.
About the Author
Sarah “Saz” Milligan has been a journalist for 22 years, 18 of which she spent working in Liverpool. She’s seen the industry change, mostly for the worse, but refuses to give up on the power of local news. When she’s not writing, she’s probably arguing about football or drinking too much coffee.
