GPD, Associated Press Services for regional newspapers

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The GPD, Associated Press Services, no longer exists since January 1, 2013. From that date, the regional newspapers had to make do without the press service, where an editorial team and a network of freelancers kept the news flowing on topics other than regional ones. Since then, the newspapers have drawn from sources that newspapers not affiliated with the GPD also draw from. It means less diversity in the news offering.

Press agency for regional newspapers is defunct

  • GPD press agency
  • Regional newspapers
  • Collaboration with regional newspapers
  • Quality
  • Mergers determine decline
  • Own press service
  • Leeuwarder Courant

 

GPD press agency

GPD press agency has existed for 76 years. It provided news, reports and backgrounds and it worked at home and abroad. It delivered the messages to regional newspapers. One of the customers was the Leeuwarder Courant.

Unplug

The plug was pulled on December 31, 2012. Editor-in-chief Jos Timmers arranged a high-level farewell. On the 42nd floor of an apartment building, people gathered once more to commemorate the farewell of the press service. The last director was Luut Stallinga and the last editor-in-chief was Jos Timmers.

Regional newspapers

At the end of the GPD’s career, 15 Dutch and several Belgian newspapers were affiliated.
The affiliated newspapers that used the service were:

  • The Importance of Limburg
  • BN/De Stem
  • Brabants Dagblad
  • Limburgs Dagblad/ Dagblad De Limburger
  • Dagblad van het Noorden
  • Eindhovens Dagblad
  • Gazette of Antwerp
  • The Gelderlander
  • Haarlems Dagblad/ De Gooi- en Eenlander/ Leidsch Dagblad
  • Leeuwarder Courant
  • Nederlands Dagbblad
  • Noordhollands Dagblad
  • Het Parool
  • Provincial Zeeland Courant
  • De Stentor (Apeldoornse Courant/ Zwolse Courant/ Deventer/ Gelders/ Overijssels Dagblad/ Nieuw Kampener Dagblad/ Dagblad Flevoland)
  • The Twentsche Courant Tubantia

 

Collaboration with regional newspapers

In 1936, the GPD was founded by ten directors of regional newspapers who believed that more could be achieved through cooperation and that they could compete better with the national media. The press service started under the name Grote Provinciale Dagblads. In the beginning there was an exchange of stories, but over time the GPD acquired an independent editorial team. Journalists WLBrugman and Nico Scheepmaker in particular had a hand in this. In the 1980s the name changed to the Joint Press Service, the GPD. Later the PersUnie joined. Small regional newspapers worked together in this. From then on, the GPD was called Associated Press Services.

Network of freelancers

Things were going very well for the GPD in the 1990s. All regional newspapers, with the exception of the Barneveldse Krant and the Friesch Dagblad, were connected. GPD journalists then reported on all important events for, on behalf of and with the newspaper journalists. From the Football World Cup to the Tour de France, from terrorist attacks to war in the Balkans. Foreign editors worked for the GPD and correspondents were located in various places around the world. From Brazil to Russia. In recent years this has been a network of freelancers.

Quality

The GPD provided quality stories in all kinds of areas, so that the regional newspapers could focus on the region. Quality work was delivered with a small editorial team.

Mergers determine decline

The decline started in 2006, when three Randstad newspapers merged with Algemeen Dagblad. Uitgeverij Wegener determined that. It became the beginning of the end. Over the years, newspapers disappeared and the number of publishing houses decreased.
There are only four major publishers left:

  1. TMG;
  2. The Press Group;
  3. Mediahuis/Concentra
  4. Northern Dagblad Combination.

 

Own press service

Uitgeverij Wegener/ Media Groep Limburg decided in 2012 to start its own press service and to leave the GPD. Wegener/MGL publishes nine regional newspapers that were GPD customers. These customers generated half of the GPD budget and without this income, keeping the GPD afloat became too expensive for the other affiliated newspapers. In 2016, Mediahuis/Concentra took over Media Groep Limburg.

Capital destruction

In NVJ circles there is talk of capital destruction. The well-oiled machine with good reporting has disappeared. Regional newspapers benefited from the journalistic productions.

Leeuwarder Courant

Deputy editor-in-chief of the Leeuwarder Courant will miss the GPD. He regrets that the press service had to stop. He is afraid that it means a loss of pluralism of the press in the Netherlands. The Leeuwarder Courant mainly reports on the ups and downs of the province. In addition, regional newspapers such as the LC want to offer readers a window on the world. The newspapers use various news agencies for this purpose. Now that the GPD has disappeared, the LC can use the news streams of the AD and Parool. This guarantees a range of news about home and abroad, economy, culture and sports.

read more

  • Media on Ameland – news from the island
  • Leeuwarder Courant – Daily newspaper of the province of Friesland
  • Applications for the smartphone
  • Friesch Dagblad – Christian regional daily newspaper

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