Some weeks ago I posted a piece about the need to develop a Welsh centric media in order to promote the Welsh Agenda. I think that this video, below, proves this point.
The video was posted by a colleague on Twitter:
It does indeed show that Carwyn Jones is completely sidelined. Indeed Alex Salmond has to engineer an opportunity for him to participate in the Press Conference.
But why is he sidelined?
Because there’s no Welsh media present there.
There’s obviously a Scottish and Northern Irish media presence there – it was a meeting in Edinburgh which goes to explain the Scottish presence.
But why no Welsh media presence?
Costs are certainly a factor. But not just the direct cost, but the added value that reporting of this would have brought to any Welsh based news agency. Welsh based news organisations had probably come to the conclusion that it wouldn’t have added any value to their out-put, and therefore decided against attending.
Shame. Carwyn Jones, as First Minister, should insist that a selection of reporters attend, and I would suggest that the Welsh Government should pay for the reporters costs in order to ensure that these important meetings get the attention they deserve, and not just a news agency cut-and-paste job.
Mabon ap Gwynfor 
“Carwyn Jones, as First Minister, should insist that a selection of reporters attend…” WHAT!!! This is not a fascist state. If reporters from Wales don’t want to attend anything, they won’t. Paying the expenses of journalists seems close to manipulation. Could they really be critical of an agencuy paying for their 4-star hotel and their steak and chips? And if their expenses are paiod but nothing appears in print, would Carwyn ask for his money back?
They state of journalism in even at the local level Wales is dire. I send out press releases for a choir (Cor Meibion Maelgwn, since you ask). The local papers either do a ‘cut and paste’ job or they ignore the event completely. Only very, very rarely do you find a reporter out with his / her notebook attending an event to which they have been specifically invited. They might go if the royal family is present, of course.