The chairman of the KM Group (pictured) was speaking to an audience of local newspaper publishers, editors and journalists at the Regional Press Awards ceremony and lunch organised by the Society of Editors in conjunction with the Newspaper Society.
At the awards, Steve Hall, Derby Telegraph editor, was named Editor of the Year with Northcliffe titles performing strongly, taking nine gongs including five awards for the Hull Daily Mail.
In her speech, Geraldine said: “Despite the challenges facing all traditional media sectors, we should remember that local papers - in print and online - play a critical role which no other medium can replicate: scrutinising those in authority, campaigning on behalf of readers, and supporting local businesses.
“In difficult economic times, 'community' becomes even more important in people's lives. Our titles are the most trusted of all media and are still the only meaningful way for people to connect with their local communities.
“We know this because despite the tough times we are experiencing we are reaching bigger audiences. 33 million print readers a week across one thousand one hundred titles, and 42 million web users a month across our sixteen hundred websites. While our print readership has remained pretty stable (over the past 10 years), we have grown our online audiences by over 40 per cent in the past two years.
“In fact each month millions more people in the UK visit local newspaper websites than use Facebook. Over the past year our online audience has grown at well over double the rate of Facebook. More than 70 per cent of the adult population in the UK use our online and print products and this combined audience is still growing.
“Given these trends I am confident that our local newspapers will continue to fulfil their vital role well into the future. We are adapting and changing. People will always need to know what's going on around them and they will always need trusted local news, however it is delivered.”
