The gravity of regional disparity is a defining challenge of contemporary society. The phenomenon, often encapsulated by the stark term 'rural extinction' (a concept popularized by figures like former Japanese Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Hiroya Masuda), describes a reality where human capital and infrastructure overwhelmingly concentrate in metropolitan areas, while non-capital regions experience decline.
However, journalist Yoon Yu-kyung, having extensively covered local news outlets for the media criticism magazine Media Today, contests this reductionist framing. In her book, "Praise for Local Media Nationwide" (published by S 계절, 352 pages, ₩19,000), she argues that the communities she documented are "living, breathing places where new things happen every day," deeming the description of any area as 'extinct' to be "callous and violent." The book is a culmination of a nearly two-year series, profiling 19 regional news organizations that diligently fulfill the essential role of the press.
Echoes Beyond Seoul-Centrism
The nation's self-proclaimed 'major media' are predominantly based in Seoul, focusing their coverage on the political and economic power structures centered there. Regional news, unless it involves major accidents or high-profile events, is often relegated to a peripheral status.
The regional news organizations spotlighted in Yoon's work offer a vital counterbalance. They share the stories of local residents and tenaciously investigate the small and large incidents that shape their communities—a critical form of journalism that major outlets, though obligated, frequently overlook.
The book serves as a powerful reminder of perspectives missed when viewing the world through a Seoul-centric lens. It brings to light the struggles of a grandmother in Jinan, Jeollabuk-do, who "couldn't take the bus or visit her family because she couldn't read." It reveals the paradox that rural children, despite the ideal of free outdoor play, increasingly turn to platforms like YouTube due to the scarcity of adequate recreational facilities in low-population areas. Furthermore, the divide exists even within the regions: half of Chungbuk's population is clustered in Cheongju, and residents of Daegu often dismiss smaller cities and counties in Gyeongbuk as 'country villages,' underscoring the severe inter-regional disparities outside the capital.
For media in areas like Incheon and Gyeonggi, which are effectively integrated with Seoul, the challenge is different: gaining resonance with local residents through "our region's story" when their lives are so intertwined with the capital.
Survival Through Local Trust
For some regional news organizations, a deep engagement with the community is not merely a journalistic ideal but a matter of survival. To hold local institutions accountable through critical reporting, they must secure the essential backing of readers through subscriptions and donations.
The book highlights several models of sustainability:
Dangjin Sidae: Relies on a 6:4 ratio of print advertising to subscription fees and circulation revenue.
Weekly Hamyang: Developed an internship program tied to the popular 'one-month stay' local tourism initiative.
Wonju Today: Achieved the highest paid circulation among regional weekly newspapers nationwide by building local trust through diverse private-sector collaborative public service projects.
These examples offer crucial food for thought, demonstrating that regional media can serve as a bastion that listens to, records, and safeguards the local way of life, challenging the narrative of 'extinction' with tangible evidence of resilience and journalistic commitment.
[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]
