Three more local newspapers have been covered as part of the investigation into local council coverage.

“Perhaps what the Cotswold Journal shows best is that it must be pretty much impossible to get adequate council coverage in the newspaper given the limited staffing and the large area the paper covers. Attending county, district and parish or town council meetings in four different counties can’t be feasible – one person can only be in one place at one time.

“Hence a reliance on press releases or short, less detailed, stories. Where there are longer stories, human interest seems to be a factor – profiles are popular. Often, the council perspective seems to be a last minute insertion or an extra quote, rather than being the nub of the story.”