Overview

"""A merry romp through the often bizarre world of local journalism."" ""Rare to find a book packed with so many funny stories."" ""Really good fun, but also a touching tribute to local journalism."" ""This book perfectly taps into why local newspapers matter... and what we stand to lose if they disappear."" ""There's a man in reception with a massive slug. Can you come down and interview him?"" Welcome to the life of a local journalist, and the curious tradition of the ""walk-in"" - when a member of the public turns up with a tale to tell. The newsworthiness of these stories is... well... mixed, to say the least. But every journalist remembers their weirdest and most wonderful walk-ins. From stories that made international headlines and exposed major crime networks, to readers who walked in with a hand grenade and a bag of dead bats, There's Someone In Reception explores the good, the bad and the downright bizarre of working in local news. Based on interviews with generations of journalists - with stories from the 1950s to the 2020s - it covers the glory days, the disastrous decline of local papers and the signs of hope now emerging in many places. Alex Morrison spent a decade in journalism, as a reporter then editor for several local newspapers, before covering national news for the BBC."

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9781068697104

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"""Somewhat in the vein of This is Going to Hurt or the Secret Barrister, this book is peppered with great anecdotes."" ""The stories in this book are both funny and sweet."" ""A love song to public service, to community journalism, and to the often voiceless and vulnerable people that national media ignore."" ""A joyous book which highlights the quirks, foibles, whimsy and oddity of the great British public."" ""This is a really fun read, a peek into news offices and village life in the UK that I, as an American reader, found quite fascinating."" Reviews posted by readers: A merry romp through the often bizarre world of local journalism There are so many brilliant stories in here which will be a trip down Memory Lane for anyone who worked in local news. But more than that, this book perfectly taps into why local newspapers matter, the role they play in communities and just what we stand to lose if they disappear. Rare to find a book packed with so many funny stories, which also brings the poignancy of a subject like the decline in local newspapers. Lovely read with lots of great, funny (and odd!) local journalism stories. Sad reminder of what we are losing every time a local rag closes."

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