{"id":495180,"date":"2025-10-13T03:53:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T03:53:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/495180\/"},"modified":"2025-10-13T03:53:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T03:53:15","slug":"pubs-and-newspapers-are-the-perfect-partners-it-must-continue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/495180\/","title":{"rendered":"Pubs and newspapers are the perfect partners – it must continue"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Government is considering a historic change when it comes to licensing\"Graeme<\/p>\n

Graeme Brown is the editor of BirminghamLive and the Birmingham Mail, and senior editor at Reach PLC for Birmingham, the Black Country and Worcestershire<\/p>\n

Pubs and newspapers have long gone together(Image: BBC)<\/p>\n

Transparency is important in pubs – and not only so I can see how much of my pint I have left.<\/p>\n

Pubs are a lifeline in Birmingham today – as a way of bringing people together and alleviating loneliness particularly among older people.<\/p>\n

However, they are by their nature in our communities and as a result people living in those communities deserve to know what is happening to them.<\/p>\n

As part of its review of the Licensing Act 2003 which applies to England and Wales, the government\u2019s Licensing Taskforce came up with some very sensible proposals to support the hospitality sector – both long-established venues that are struggling with rising costs and fewer punters, and those seeking to bring new watering holes to our high streets.<\/p>\n

But one proposal in the package of 10 recommendations has been particularly ill thought out; namely, the suggestion that removing licensing application notices from local newspapers is somehow a necessary cut to bureaucratic red tape.<\/p>\n

In practice, these notices in play an important role in promoting transparency, accountability, and community awareness.<\/p>\n

By publishing these notices in widely circulated newspapers, vital information becomes accessible to a broad audience, ensuring that citizens are informed about matters that may influence their lives.<\/p>\n

Public notices also ensure fairness by giving equal access to important information. News titles like BirminghamLive reach diverse groups of people<\/p>\n

Walk into any pub today and you\u2019ll likely find more than just a beer on tap.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll find quiz nights, open mic sessions, parent-and-baby coffee mornings, pizza trucks in the car park, and even coworking spaces. Pubs are working harder than ever to appeal to a new generation of patrons – and many are succeeding, transforming themselves into vibrant, multifunctional venues that still keep that warm, inclusive pub feel.<\/p>\n

The same is true of local newspapers. We\u2019ve innovated to adapt to a changing world. Local publishers now reach more readers than ever before, not just through the printed page but through dynamic websites, newsletters, podcasts, and social media. Public notices – like those relating to licensing applications for pubs – are published in print and online through the Public Notice Portal <\/a>, a free-to-access platform developed by the industry with funding from the Google News Initiative, which ensures maximum visibility and reach.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t about clinging to the past. It\u2019s about recognising the vital role that trusted, independent local journalism plays in democratic life – and how it intersects with the survival and success of places like your local pub.<\/p>\n

Removing licensing notices from local newspapers doesn\u2019t just hurt publishers – it shuts local people out of decisions that affect their daily lives.<\/p>\n

The truth is that public notices aren\u2019t red tape – they\u2019re part of the infrastructure that keeps our communities connected, informed, and empowered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Government is considering a historic change when it comes to licensing Graeme Brown is the editor of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":495181,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7820],"tags":[855,748,393,4884,378,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-495180","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-birmingham","8":"tag-birmingham","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-in-the-news","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115364836570348874","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/495180","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=495180"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/495180\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/495181"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=495180"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=495180"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=495180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}