Johnston Press wants new BBC and local media relations

Politicians should not forget the role played by the local media "in shaping and supporting local communities" according to the boss of one of the UK's biggest local newspaper groups.

Ashley Highfield from Johnston Press said half of the population gets its news from local papers, radio and online media, and these are often overlooked by the national media.

And in a personal film for the Daily Politics, he called for a "more symbiotic relationship" between the BBC and the local press.

Mr Highfield, who previously worked for the BBC and later Microsoft, before joining the newspaper group, will discuss this film on Monday's programme, which will be on Player for 30 days.

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