Family Announcements
 

Just wondered why we never see any Asian announcements in Births, Marriages, Birthdays, etc., in the Accrington Observer. Bereft of any adverts too. Do they have their own publication ?

Think would be good to see a few.

Re: Family Announcements
 

Did you miss one out on purpose.:D

Re: Family Announcements
 

I hope you not suggesting you would like to see plenty of those :eek:

Re: Family Announcements
 

That was in the word 'etc' Benipete ... :D

Just really curious, after all is a communal paper, love it or like it, the Observer is ours whatever nationality that lives here. I am sure the Observer marketing people have tried to get extra revenue from this area, but why don't they have any success? Is it due to :-

• Not traditional.
• Too good a bush telegraph amongst their community to spend money on entries.
• Do the Asian community buy the Observer ?
• Do they consider it a 'white' paper ? not racially, but again traditionally ?

Any other suggestions ?

Re: Family Announcements
 

Asian Express

they have a few papers of their own ....

Re: Family Announcements
 

I think the thing is kate they hold funerals very quickly, if they are buried in this country, which may have something to do with it too. Plus there is far more integration amongst the Asian community than there is the indigenous population

Re: Family Announcements
 

It's an interesting question although itwas noticeable that there quite a few entires for the baby of the year competition

I didn't see the last Accy Carnival but afterwards somebody did tell me there was little or no representation from the Ethnic minorities, dont know if thats true or not

Re: Family Announcements
 

Re: Family Announcements
 

Why? does it make any odds?:confused:

Re: Family Announcements
 

Would definitely help the Observer with their income Cashy.:D

Yes, do think it would be good to see some of the ethnics in there, would give us a better understanding of what they celebrate. All part of integration, but I don't know why they don't, that's why I ask if there is some political/religious/moral reasons why they don't. There must be some events in their lives at certain ages that are important .. e.g. as we see becoming 21 important. 18 is surely important too, as they will then be allowed to vote in their new adopted country (although most Asian 18 year olds will have been born here).

Sure you have seen notices of people you went to school/work with and mentioned that 'you had seen their birthday/anniversary ...ok not death :rolleyes: in the paper'. Would just create better understanding and communication between people.

Magpie found one publication 'The Asian Express' as an example, but from its very name is 'sorta' limited to Asians, whereby the Accrington Observer is for the whole of the town.

Re: Family Announcements
 

When Civil Parnerships came into being the Observer asked for people to send in their details of those occasions, but so far there haven't been any.

Re: Family Announcements
 

Why I wonder. Would think they would be only too pleased ...:confused:

Re: Family Announcements
 

whilst i agree it would, feel there is more chance of george bush sending bin laden a christmas card. think a better way to increase the income would be to vastly improve on the crap they put in it.:D;)

Re: Family Announcements
 

they keep themselves to themselves and so do we! why would it be good! do they take interest in what is in the paper already birth, marriages etc i guess not! they make no effort to intergreat with us! as what is already posted, while no means i am racist. but thats my opinion

Re: Family Announcements
 

And in no way was my intention to turn this into a racist thread either MCR, however, you could well be correct in this assumption, which would be very sad. If we don't try and break down what people see as these barriers, then the future of our society is very bleak indeed. Somewhere we have got to cut the tape.

Re: Family Announcements
 

I went to a meeting about two years ago and the question of Asian readership was brought up. Basically, the representatives from the Asian community said that they didn't get the Observer because the only time someone from their community was in the paper it was in a negative light.

The Observer's perspective was that they report news so if anyone were to tell them good news that they would be happy to print it.

Re: Family Announcements
 

[quote=Gayle;648922] Basically, the representatives from the Asian community said that they didn't get the Observer because the only time someone from their community was in the paper it was in a negative light.
quote]

I don't agree with that, do you? :confused:

Re: Family Announcements
 

[quote=Lilly;648925]
It's a toughie - I wouldn't buy a paper if it wasn't relevant to me so I can understand why people don't buy the local paper in general.

Re: Family Announcements
 

I've got nothing in common with 99.9% of the people and stories featured in the Observer, but it is still essential reading despite, or because of that fact.

The attitude Gail mentioned is a bit like the Brits who move to sunnier climes, and isolate themselves from the wider community by only reading the Sun.

Re: Family Announcements
 

[quote=Lilly;648925][quote=Gayle;648933]I mean I don't think it's true that the only time someone from the Asian community is in the Observer they are shown in a negative light.

Re: Family Announcements
 

[quote=Lilly;648946][quote=Lilly;648925]

Well, only if they have committed crimes like our white residents Lilly. Unless someone on here can pull one up.

The news item they have been reporting with great empathy is the Riaz case, and recently the birth of a baby born to the brother of Caneze
. I had personal leanings to this story, and think the Observer handled it well. Would like to throw out the gauntlet to the Asian community to produce any stories they thought were negative to them .. :confused:

Bit of an impasse going on.

Re: Family Announcements
 

Well, the thing with me is, like Rindi said, its essential reading. I used to get the Telegraph as well but I don't anymore, I just go on the Web Site instead. The Obs is not as good as it used to be, they print some crap stories, although their coverage of Stanley is not bad at all. I think the main reason I would miss the Observer is for the same reason of this thread, the obituaries, its the first page I turn to every Friday morning, I have to make sure I'm not in:D:rolleyes:

Re: Family Announcements
 

[quote=katex;648954][quote=Lilly;648946]That's what I was thinking. In my opinion, Asians are only shown in a negative light if they have done something wrong just like anybody else is.

I too would be interested to see any stories where they think they have been portrayed unfairly. :confused:

Re: Family Announcements
 

It's only the same as the rivalry between other newspapers though. I buy the Guardian because it's relevant to me, i don't buy the Daily Mail because it isn't. I buy the Accrington Observer because it's relevant to me, I don't buy Asian Image because it isn't relevant to me.

Each appeals to a different demographic.

Re: Family Announcements
 

[quote=Lilly;649133][quote=katex;648954]I didn't say 'unfairly' I said that the stories were negative ones. I'm only going off a meeting two years ago when it was mentioned that the only times that Asians appeared in the paper it was in negative stories.

Re: Family Announcements
 

going back years the majority of asians bought the "Jang" or the" Millet" in preferance to our dailys, that i could understand cos they printed news from home. but why they don't buy a local paper much, beats me. maybe mani could enlighten me?:confused:

Re: Family Announcements
 

But as I said that attitude is limiting one's place in the community, and also rather isolating, as examplified by my example of Brits moving to Spain, ignoring the local media, and only reading the English tabloids.

I prefer to see the broader picture, and read everything possible.:)

Re: Family Announcements
 

Not quite the same Garinda although I get your point to a degree. If you were in Spain and only reading the news from the English media then you would be reading about news that was happening in another country and not locally.

However, the Asian community has Asian Image and Asian News to read local news locally.

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The person who sells me the Observer each Thursday afternoon has always already read it, and tells me if he thinks it's a good read or not that particular week. He happens to be Asian.

Re: Family Announcements
 

May be that's the problem then - they're reading it for free so no one counts them in their audience figures! :D

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I still think it is sadly isolating.

Re: Family Announcements
 

Perhaps you should start reading Asian Image then. ;)

Re: Family Announcements
 

I have done, and regularly check their website.;)

Like I say, I read everything I can, and don't like to limit myself.;)

To me it is as sad as someone who fits into a particular demographic, and only reads the Asian/black/gay/Catholic press that is aimed specifically at them.

It must give them a very one dimensional view of the world, and add to their sense of isolation, and living in a bubble.

The Observer, and other local papers, are a medium for all sections of the community to use, and to ignore and isolate yourself from that is counterproductive to a happy, inclusive society.

Re: Family Announcements
 

Not everyone has the time to read everything and so they choose the one that applies the most to them. Papers know that and so have target markets. Perhaps, the Observer does not specifically target Asian readers because its sister paper Asian News appeals more to that demographic.

It's all down to marketing.

Re: Family Announcements
 

I wish I could get the Accrington Observer over here.. alas I have to settle for just the Hull Daily Mail. :(

Re: Family Announcements
 

But the Asian News isn't local to Hyndburn, therefore people who only read that are missing out on news in their community.

It isn't all down to marketing, it's down to some people choosing to isolate themselves by only reading a medium that is being targeted at them, which also applies to the other types of press I gave as examples, gay, black etc.

Re: Family Announcements
 

I've told you before, if your mummy loved you as much as mine loves me, she'd post you a copy.

I had my Observer posted every week, first to Liverpool, then to London.

Sometimes it even had money in it, which was really nice of the Editor.:D

Re: Family Announcements
 

It's fairly local - more local than the Guardian is to me, yet i read that.

Re: Family Announcements
 

I think the problem in Spain is the language barrier .. my friends buy the local ex pats publication and the English newspapers that are available every day, so naturally they will go for the ex pats. Most people living in Spain are of retirement age and find it difficult to pick up a new language (although some of my friends are making an effort .. the women that is !)

If the Spaniards could issue their publications in English or German maybe more would be bought .. probably not monetary viable though, and why should they.

LOL Garinda .. was just going to say the same thing to AndrewB... will post you mine if you forward your address Andrew.

In the meantime, comments from the News Editor of Observer:-

"Regarding the family announcements, we have tried numerous time to get Asian
families to contact us with their family announcements. We have tried
speaking to asian funeral directors but they don't seem to use our service
for one reason or another.
I don't know whether it has to do with the amount of time they have before
the deceased have to be buried/cremated. I think the main reason is
cultural."

Re: Family Announcements
 

I take the point about the funerals, but the obituaries are free, and it would be interesting to read a brief bio of people who have lived and worked here in Hyndburn.

I also take the point of the language barrier in Spain/France/Italy/wherever, but the Asian press that has been mentioned is all in English, so that's not really applicable.

I think anyone, of whatever background should be informed if some drunken courting couple rolls in to the Tinker brook. That's newsworthy to every person, regardless of background.:D

Asians don't isolate themselves from local politics. It seems sad that they are isolating themselves from the local press, and therefore the wider community.

Re: Family Announcements
 

Yes, to the whole north west...so not local enough to read if your next door neighbour hasn't paid their TV licence.;)

Re: Family Announcements
 

But the Asian population is about 8% of the total population so you'd need to spread your net a lot wider to get the 13,000 readers that the Accy Obs gets.

Re: Family Announcements
 

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I'm not saying there isn't a need for specialist media, whatever their target audience is.

But it just adds to feeling of isolation, when thats the only newpaper you read.

Why limit yourself?

If we're playing the minority card, as stated earlier, I have probably less in common with most people featured in the Observer's stories than most, but it doesn't mean I don't have an interest in the community I live in, otherwise I might as well go and live in a ghetto, which would be a sad state of affairs.

Re: Family Announcements
 

So the percentages are the same, so what atraction does local politics have, that the local press doesn't?

Re: Family Announcements
 

Well again - the Asian population of Hyndburn is 8% - I reckon that around 8% of the local MPs are Asian - so represents the local demographics.

Re: Family Announcements
 

But do you not see my point?

Happily Asaians are involved with local politics, not just the politics of the Asian community, but aren't taking advantage of the local press, who it seems would welcome more inclusion from all sections of the community, and by doing so are further isolating themselves.

Re: Family Announcements
 

Interesting to learn that the MEN Group run the Asian News .. didn't know that ! By its very title is segregating. That is the group though and not local to Accrington (or is it). Some of the stories in there are from the Observer.
Will get one of these and see if they enter any family announcements, and where they have the largest circulation.

Re: Family Announcements
 

Huge generalisation there - as with members of any community, some are, some aren't, some are interested, some aren't, some mix with members of other communities, some don't!

What about the average white middle class man (another generalisation) who doesn't even buy any local paper - is he isolating himself or does he have a nice happy social life without needing to read a local paper?

Re: Family Announcements
 

From Rotarian news to golf tournaments, I think the man you gave as an example is more than catered for.

I still think it's sad that the local Asian community don't feel able to share their sorrows, by placing obituaries, and happiness, such as their kids getting a degree etc.

Everyone else seems happy to share their news with their neighbours.

Rather than just accepting the fact, I thought you'd be all for a news medium that all can share in.