Newspaper ferry service's request for funds denied

A request for government funding to support a daily inter-island freight service has been denied.

Iris Freight, which carries national newspapers printed in Jersey to Guernsey, previously said increasing costs and a decreasing demand for newspapers could the service at risk.

Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, President of Guernsey's Committee for Economic Development, said: "While we recognise and value the service Iris Freight has provided over many years, the challenges it faces are structural and industry-wide."

"Government intervention in the newspaper distribution market would not address those underlying issues and would likely require significant, ongoing and growing public subsidy."

"We need the papers to continue doing what we're doing - the little lifeline between each island," said David Nuth, managing director and co-owner of Iris Freight, last month.

"Maybe the government, maybe they want us to get a bigger boat and they want a different service, and if we can help them do that then we will."

The firm carries about 25,000 newspapers to Guernsey each week - which is half the amount it carried when it started a decade ago - alongside other freight, including medical items between the two islands' hospitals, food and spare parts for cars.

Nuth previously said he believed physical newspapers were "going to fade out eventually" and, without help, the company had three to five years left.

Kazantseva-Miller said the committee concluded government financial support intended to subsidise newspaper distribution would "risk undermining impartiality of the local media and would therefore not be appropriate".

She said: "The committee understand that this decision can lead to significant changes in the national newspaper distribution market and may create a time of uncertainty.

"The committee is very mindful that the Guernsey Press, as the only organisation responsible for newspaper distribution, is better placed to consider any future arrangements.

"Notwithstanding, the committee remains open to working with all stakeholders in the media and distribution market, if needed and considered appropriate by the industry."

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