Phone 4342 2070 Fax 4342 2071
2000 © Peninsula Community Access Newspaper Inc

Peninsula News has been published every four weeks for a year and a half now.
Its unusual format and content set it apart from other local and regional newspapers.
In this feature, we explore how the newspaper came about, its purpose and how we believe the community can best make use of it.
The continuing existence of Peninsula News challenges common perceptions of the role of a community newspaper and, indeed, the nature of "community" itself.
We often find ourselves answering questions prompted by often unstated assumptions:
What is Peninsula News?
When and how did it start?
Who owns the newspaper?
Why do we not take news from outside the Peninsula?
Why are there so few advertisements?
What is the editorial policy of the newspaper?
What is its relationship with Greater Gosford News?
Whose interests is it serving?
What is Peninsula News?
Peninsula News has a print run of 14,000 copies
It is distributed through schools, clubs and other public areas such as libraries. People often pick up a number of copies to distribute to their neighbours.
The newspaper has a policy of community participation and access. It aims to keep the community informed about community activities and particularly the decisions of Gosford Council which are critical to our future.
Ownership structure
To our knowledge, the ownership structure of Peninsula News is unlike that of any other newspaper in Australia.
It is owned by a community-based incorporated non-profit association, Peninsula Community Access Newspaper Inc. Membership is open to all residents of the Peninsula.
The association licenses the commercial operation of the newspaper - currently to Mail Order Mall, the business of Cec Bucello.
The newspaper association defines the structure and policy of the paper and supplies the newspaper's editor.
The association encourages community participation in the newspaper's management and production. The newspaper structure allows it to be responsive to community needs and more answerable to the community for its operation.
Association aims
The association was established with the following aims:
To provide a viable news medium exclusively for the Peninsula
To develop a sense of community on the Peninsula
To provide a voluntary community activity where participants mix with a broad cross-section of the community
To provide training opportunities for youth and the unemployed
To provide an avenue through which retired people may continue to make a valued contribution to the community
To provide a forum for personal expression
To provide a skills or assistance "exchange", where people can offer to teach their skills or to give assistance and in return seek help and teaching from others.
Committee membership
The newspaper association's constitution is based on the model rules for incorporated associations. The association has a committee of eight members, comprising a president, secretary and treasurer and five other committee members.
The president is Mark Snell, secretary Stephen Macnamara and treasurer Kevin Butler. Other members of the committee include Woy Woy High School principal Carolyn Carter, artist Christine Burge and the newspaper's journalist Carl Spears.
Operation & staffing
The sales, marketing and production of Peninsula News is all undertaken on a commercial basis, along with Council reporting, by licensee Mail Order Mall.
Principal of Mail Order Mall is Cec Bucello, who employs Carl Spears full-time in journalism, sales and production roles. Part-time distributors and typists are also employed, as well as commission sales people from time to time.
Many of the contributors listed each issue in the Peninsula News panel on page two are often seen at the newspaper office.
These staffing costs together with the printing, other production costs and office overheads are met through advertising sales.
Mail Order Mall also publishes Greater Gosford News along similar lines to Peninsula News.
That newspaper was started by Mail Order Mall independently of the Peninsula Community Access Newspaper association at the start of the year.
While using the association's newspaper model, news values and production techniques, that paper is owned and operated entirely by Mail Order Mall without any involvement of the association.
Production routine
Peninsula News is usually produced on a four-weekly cycle. Deadline in most instances is a week before the newspaper's Tuesday publication day.
Deadlines for the next few issues are: September 20, October 18, November 15 and December 13.
Production and editorial planning meetings are held in the week prior to deadline. The production planning meeting is held on the Monday and is open to anyone willing to help in the production process, while all contributors and anyone willing to help in the editorial (news gathering and writing) process are encouraged to attend the Thursday meeting.
During the period, Carl Spears attends all full Gosford Council meetings. This is usually three per month.
Carl collates other stories as they are submitted during the month. Typed material is scanned into word processor documents, while other material is entered by typists.
These stories are submitted progressively to Mark Snell who edits them. They are then proof-read and returned to Carl to be laid in to the newspaper pages. This is done using a desktop publishing program.
Readability and writing style
Contributions are preferred by email or on disk, as a Word document , RTF document or a plain text file.
Sentences should be short and active.
Please ask for a copy of our style guidelines.
 
The role of Peninsula News
The idea of starting a newspaper just for the Peninsula arose from early meetings of the Peninsula Community Forum.
The community forum was formed of representatives of all significant organisations active on the Peninsula to discuss issues facing the community.
During discussions, it soon became apparent that many individuals and groups were active but were unaware of each other. They also had difficulty letting the community know about their activities.
One participant noted that he was new to the area but, where he came from, the role was served by the local paper.
It became evident that the existing suburban papers were regiona, rather than local,l in nature and did not provide the possibility of a comprehensive local coverage.
In addition to communication needs within the community, a number of important developments were planned for the Peninsula by Gosford Council as well as the private sector. These represented investments of many millions of dollars and had long-term implications for our lifestyle on the Peninsula.
A major deficiency in our social infrastructure was identified and the forum encouraged Mark Snell to pursue his idea of establishing a community-based newspaper.
He believed that a newspaper was needed that was a rich information source and provided the community with the opportunity to discuss topical issues. He felt the area was already well served with advertising media and material with an emphasis on entertainment.
It was with this background that a newspaper association was formed with an aim to provide a newspaper that was conscious of its community development role.
Unique features
The vision for the composition of Peninsula News was unique in a number of respects.
With an emphasis on news rather than advertising, it would reverse the normal advertising ratio of 75%.
Budgets were prepared that showed production of a newspaper with a 25% advertising ratio was possible.
The quarter-fold (half-tabloid) presentation, the five-column format, the smaller than usual headline type size all differentiate Peninsula News from other newspapers.
Unlike the suburban papers, this paper would rely on council stories as its major news source, rather than the police and courts.
It was felt that news of plans being made for our future as revealed at Council meetings reinforced the social health of our community and engendered a positive attitude towards our community and our collective future.
This was in contrast to continuing stories that highlight the occurrence of crime, the more negative elements of our community and a spectator mentality rather than encouraging participation in controlling our own destiny.
Community ownership
This sense of community ownership and involvement was to be embodied in the operation of the newspaper itself.
It would be owned by a community-based incorporated non-profit association, with membership open to all residents of the Peninsula.
The association would license the sales and marketing elements of the newspaper to a commercial operator, while retaining control of policy of the paper and supplying the newspaper's editor.
The structure ensures that the newspaper is responsive to community needs and more answerable to the community for its operation.
Under the licence, the operator must supply news coverage of Gosford Council meetings with the remainder of the paper being filled with community contribution.
The paper actively encourages all groups and individuals on the Peninsula to contribute their news, opinions and items of interest for publication.
It also encourages voluntary involvement in all aspects of its production.
The paper continues to attract volunteers with a range of experience: School students seeking work experience, journalism graduates wanting to break into the industry have all worked with Peninsula News.
Even the editing and proof-reading of the newspaper are undertaken on a voluntary basis.
But volunteers have not been limited to literary fields. Work undertaken by community members has ranged from typing to computer configuration and programming.
Editorial policy
The newspaper's editorial policy reflects a desire to reinforce the Peninsula's sense of community.
To qualify for publication, articles must have specific relevance to the Peninsula. For example, they must be about activities or events happening on the Peninsula or be organised by or involving Peninsula people.
The newspaper is not regional or national in nature, so regional or national issues will not be canvassed except as they affect the Peninsula.
Regional sports will only be covered from the perspective of Peninsula clubs. Regional plans will only be aired in the context of their ramifications for the Peninsula.
Peninsula News aims to mention as many members of the Peninsula community as possible.
Readability and composition
To ensure that the newspaper serves its purpose, it must be readable and represent the interests and activities of the community in its content.
Contributions to the paper are edited to consistent standards of readability. Guidelines are available for intending contributors.
All items will be dated and most will be attributed a source or author.
The future
Peninsula News is not home-delivered, yet it is keenly sought after for its news content as much as for its advertisements.
As we go beyond our first 18 months of existence, there is increasing pressure for the paper to be home delivered and be published more frequently.
The existence of Peninsula News has had a positive effect on the nature of our community over the last 18 months.
Among the benefits, people tell us they are more aware of Council activities and decisions.
They say they feel less isolated in their efforts to improve our quality of life.
The newspaper's existence offers our community the opportunity to become more informed about issues affecting our future. It provides the opportunity to recognise our differences, value our diversity and to build on our common aspirations.