VIEW NEWS Christmas message

Wishing all of our many West Country friends, businesses and communities a very happy Christmas.

Thank you for your support in 2018. We look forward to exciting times during the coming year... Where local media matters.

GEORGE PULMAN - VICTORIAN MEDIA MAN

- Remembering a rural publishing pioneer who was also a committed Christian.

Many West Country communities know the name George Pulman well. He is considered something of a Victorian media mogul who founded Pulman's Weekly News way back in 1857.

His media brands continued to be a prolific news source for over 150 years throughout the prime agricultural counties of Devon, Dorset and Somerset.

Pulman's news was always renowned for its reliability and trustworthiness. What was published by Pulman's journalists could be considered as being true.

What people may not know is that George Pulman was also a lifelong committed Christian who worshipped regularly at his local town church in Axminster, Devon.

To help rouse local attendance, George would enthusiastically play the church organ on a Sunday morning. There he went on to meet and marry his young wife, who was likewise drawn to become a regular member of the same Axminster congregation.

Throughout his life he believed in the importance of building community: through Church, rural life and local news. He always upheld values of truth and helped give voice to many West Country causes and concerns that might otherwise have been cast aside and forgotten.

Journalism was a task that required the utmost responsibility and was a profession treated with great respect.

So in today's era of fake news and political propaganda, perhaps it is time to remember the values of one of the news media's earliest pioneers.

A man of faith who built a regional media empire in the wake of the industrial revolution which lasted through multiple generations.

The 'Pulman's Award' and bursary continues to uphold the same values of George Pulman and is open for nominations throughout the year.

George Philip Rigney Pulman: 1819 - 1880

Tribunal rules job loss workers are entitled to £250k

Reported by Hamish Marshall for BBC Spotlight

Hamish Marshall 

Two dozen workers in Devon and Dorset have won their case to get an estimated £250,000 they're owed - nine months after losing their jobs.

"The View From" series of newspapers, which included Axminster, Lyme Regis and Weymouth, was closed and then sold by Cornish businessman Peter Masters in January.

An employment tribunal has ruled new owner Duncan Williams is now responsible for the staff wages, notice and redundancy payments.

A hearing will be held next year to decide how much each worker - including journalists and sales executives - is entitled to.

The government will foot the bill if Mr Williams declares himself bankrupt.

He has told the BBC he intends to appeal the decision.

WEST COUNTRY MEDIA GROUP SUPPORTS LOCAL BUSINESS

PULMAN'S WEEKLY NEWS has a proud history of bringing local news to the people of the West Country in England.

In these days of unfiltered news and fake news, locals of West Country can rely on Pulman’s Weekly News.

This West Country media brand was founded by renowned Axminster-born publisher, George Philip Rigney Pulman, way back in 1857.

Pulman’s Weekly News was the first newspaper in Crewkerne, and print pioneer George set it up when he was editor of the Yeovil Times.

Retaining our heritage value is important, as is going with the times and becoming a digital media brand. We now utilise social media for community outreach, connecting towns and people in exactly the same way as in historic times, while meeting the needs of a new generation.


Quality News Needs Local Advertisers

With the advance of technology in recent years, the role of your local newspaper has changed dramatically. But while our news may be published through different online outlets today, Pulman's Weekly News still aims to share the voice and views of the community.

So, we needed to find different ways to do that… stay relevant and stay alive.

Local media needs local advertisers… but it is a two-way street. Our brand can showcase local small businesses and non-profits in credible ways, for affordable prices, and these enterprises benefit from the increased exposure across our audience.


Pulman’s Advertising and PR Campaigns

Keep your news outlet and local focus alive by supporting Pulman’s Weekly News with your advertising and editorial ideas.  We welcome all businesses and social impact enterprises in the local area to contact us.

Historic community newspaper titles such as ours add tremendous credibility to business editorials or marketing campaigns. We aim to give advertisers multi-platform options, encourage healthy social media interaction, and provide ways to assist local business and community leaders.


Local Media is Evolving Beyond Print

We asked the local community… what media forms are most used? Print is still important to rural neighbourhoods, but it no longer commands the dominance and large readerships it once had.

West Country advertisers now have a wider range of mediums to choose from.  Our independent media group offers excellent public relations, social media, and video marketing services.

Our journalists and editors read and listen to news everywhere and are up with the trends of today. Artificial Intelligence (AI) – e.g. voice interaction, image recognition, and real-time capturing – is breaking down barriers for people with sensory, physical and cognitive disabilities.


Supporting New Business Start-Ups

Bringing together community and business, our news outlet can help our West Country towns and villages survive and prosper.

A local news brand is important in supporting awareness of local business. If there is a problem in business or youth employment, we want to be in a position to help solve it.

New business start-ups are of vital importance to a healthy local economy.


Pulman's Weekly News: Community Grants

This regional bursary prize named after the historic newspaper group publisher George PR Pulman continues to offer sponsorship to good causes.

Duncan Williams, who is the community outreach editor of Pulman's Weekly News & Advertiser Series, says: “The Pulman’s Award and bursary continues to uphold the same values of George Pulman and is open for nominations throughout the year”.

The bursary prize has made donations during the past 12 months to the Bibic Football Fundraiser in Yeovil, the Dorset Blind Association, and enabled the production of ‘talking’ newspapers and books for the elderly and partially sighted.

Most recently, the Pulman’s Award has helped fund the publication of a series of skills training workbooks and specially tailored courses designed to help ex-offenders find work and rebuild purposeful lives back within the community.

Leaflets and booklets have also been distributed across the West Country to help enlighten young people about the dangers of drugs and addiction.


Our History

Many West Country communities know the name George Pulman well. Considered a Victorian media mogul, he founded Pulman’s Weekly News back in 1857.

His media brands continued to be a prolific news source for over 150 years throughout the prime agricultural counties of Devon, Dorset and Somerset.

Pulman's Weekly News was always renowned for its reliability and trustworthiness. This is because his journalists researched local stories so well.

George Pulman was also a lifelong Christian who worshipped regularly at his local church in Axminster, Devon.  To help rouse local attendance, George would enthusiastically play the church organ on a Sunday morning. There he met and married his young wife, who was also a regular member of the same Axminster congregation.

Throughout his life, George believed in the importance of building community: through Church, rural life and local news. He always upheld the values of truth and helped give voice to West Country causes and concerns that might otherwise have been forgotten.

Journalism was then considered as a serious and respected profession.

So in this era of fake news and political propaganda, perhaps it is time to remember the values of one of the news media’s earliest pioneers. A man of faith who built a regional media empire which lasted through multiple generations.

News publishing, in all its many forms, is still as relevant today as it was when George Pulman was alive.

Our British free press and local news media are invaluable communication tools that - when used correctly - can make our society a better place.


(George Philip Rigney Pulman: 1819 - 1880)

George Philip Rigney Pulman

The Pulman's Weekly News and Advertiser series were founded in England in 1857 by Axminster born George Pulman. (His name is often mistakenly confused with the American railroad pioneer.)

The Pulman's series are important records of a prolific Victorian era press group that went on to span multiple decades and bridge three consecutive centuries.

Over the years the Pulman's titles expanded across East Devon, West Dorset and South Somerset and were published by a succession of newspaper owners.

In 2012 the papers morphed into the Pulman's View From series, covering predominantly the same areas as before and, in keeping with the times, developed an online presence.

In 2018, following a decade of repeat financial problems, administrations and closures, the titles were bought out through a crowdfunding initiative.

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"We are very pleased to announce the launch of the new 'Pulman's Award', a prize and trophy* given to West Country individuals, or groups, who encourage the spirit of good communication, educational endeavour or community service that our founder, George P. R. Pulman embodied."

Duncan Williams,
Regional Director, 
Pulman's Weekly News Group Ltd.

More about George Philip Rigney Pulman

*Sponsorship opportunities and nominations now open.

Crowdfunding bid launched to save axed weekly news series

A media and marketing director has launched a bid to revive a series of weekly newspapers which shut last week with the loss of around 20 jobs.

Duncan Williams, left, has started a crowdfunding campaign following the closure of the ‘View From’ series – which serve towns in Dorset, Devon and Somerset.

The series has ceased publication, resulting in around 20 redundancies, less than six months after the titles were bought by Truro City Football Club chairman Peter Masters in July last year.

The purchase followed his buyout of the Liskeard-based Sunday Independent earlier in 2017.

Duncan is a commercial development consultant with News Group Ltd, and runs Dorset-based marketing service the Poole Post.

He is aiming to raise £85,000 by 3 March to buy the ‘View From’ titles and take them into community ownership.

In a pitch to potential investors on his crowdfunding page, Duncan said: “This is very sad news indeed for Dorset and the south. Local newspapers are the voice of our communities. In this era of ‘fake news’, brands that have over a 100 years of reporting creditably should not be lost. We now have a whole county dominated by American owned media giant Newsquest.

“In addition to Dorset, View News faithfully covered stories in the counties of Somerset and Devon for many years. Highlighting local interest stories and helping to profile small businesses in these areas, View News and Pulman’s Weekly News are trusted and respected brands. Too good to lose.

“We are proposing new community ownership business model. And in doing so we aim to prove to the city banks, venture capitalists and advertising agencies that regional communities value their local media.

“It offers a chance for local people to have a real stake in and to share their views and voices as part of their own local media group.”

The newspapers affected by last week’s closures are the View From titles based in Beaminster, Bridport, Dorchester, Lyme Regis, Weymouth, Seaton, Honiton and South Somerset, and the Pulman’s Weekly News which is based in Axminster.

A spokesman for the Independent said last week: “Having acquired the titles out of administration in July of last year we agreed to continue publishing the loss-making titles for six months in a bid to give continued employment for the staff.

“But in the light of continued falling revenues, we have reluctantly decided that the titles are no longer sustainable.”

Report by David Sharman for Holdthefrontpage.co.uk