What happens when a newspaper dies?

The Economist has taken a look at what happens when a town - in this case Bedworth in the Midlands - loses its newspaper.

The article The Town Without News about the closure of the Bedworth Echo makes some interesting points.

For example: "As it declined, the Echo withdrew from its office in the middle of town and trimmed its coverage of local affairs. By the end it was hardly an effective watchdog. 'We used to nearly write the stories for the journalists,' says Richard Chattaway, a county councillor."

Also:" 'This is a poor town, and not computer literate,' Anne Tippett of the Civic Hall, an arts centre. Bedworth has no prominent blog. Indeed, local politicians appear to be just coming around to e-mail as a means of mass communication."

The Economist says following the closure of the Echo: "The local borough council delivers an increasingly professional-looking newsletter. So do local churches. Oddly, a problem that is high-tech in origin has strengthened a low-tech form of communication."

Story tip via Tom McGowran