I have just had a letter from Y Cymro telling me that it will be ceasing publication at the end of June owing to “current trading conditions”, and returning the balance of my subscription.
The owners are apparently in discussion with a group who are interested in taking over Y Cymro at some time, and I hope that publication is resumed as it would be a sad loss otherwise.
I enjoy reading the Welsh news there every week, together with a good variety of features and opinions. The Welsh that is used admittedly varies from easy to almost impenetrable (!) but it keeps me in touch.
I now wish I had! I never thought that, with quite large circulaton papers struggling, Y Cymro would be in trouble! It is terribly sad. Any chance it could move on line? Unfortunately, it does seem News will be an on line commodity for the future! Or a 24 hour facility on TV for those who can’t or don’t want to read!
I used to read it when I had a newsagents shop next door that stocked it. I always found that the language was a bit too biblical for my taste and subsequently switched my allegiance to Golwg.
I’ve read it occasionally but mostly when I lived in Cardiff to encourage the local corner shop to keep stocking it. It didn’t really contain a lot that interested me. I prefer to buy Barn every now and then.
I think these responses illustrate why Y Cymro is in difficulties.It has some serious content and I happen like it myself, but it is staid, traditional in style and material, written mostly in what might be called “pulpit Welsh” and generally lacking in contemporary feel. I guess it will need a makeover if it is to reach out to a new readership and thereby survive. I hope they are able to manage this.
We’ll just have to see what happens. But it would be sad to lose such a longstanding player in the Welsh media.
On this note as well. There is a new(ish) venture called Nation.cymru which is trying to form an alternative to the press of the Mail and Mirror groups.
I sort of feel a bit bad for putting my money where my mouth is and taking it now - but I always fund the Welsh too ‘heavy’ and ended up resding the news online on Golwg360 instead.
The thing with Nation.cymru, as welcome a news service as it is for Wales since it is made in Wales (and may we have more of these please??!!), it is mainly English Language.
I do however enjoy reading their articles which have so far been the most impartial I’ve read from any news service. Not sure how long that will continue for, but I’m hoping it will for some time yet!
(I don’t know if I mentioned this earlier, but…) I would really like to see more of these blog-style media outlets start up and thrive beyond the ‘blog’ and into something bigger, with more national (dros Cymru) coverage and in both languages - to give readers a choice as well as varying opinions. The UK/London based publications have dominated for much too long with their little or no coverage at all of Welsh news!
Slightly related. ITV News have just announced that they will start interviewing in Welsh and using English subtitles, where practicable. Not sure what that last bit means entirely but that’s still a positive step to help normalise the existence of a bilingual society.
Well, I’d like to thank you for mentioning this @AnthonyCusack. Up here in Scotland, I don’t find out about these things!! I’ve had a look and will be doing so frequently!
