The idea of starting a newspaper just for the Peninsula arose from a meeting of the Peninsula Community Forum in 1998.
The meeting was a unique gathering of a broad cross-section of groups from across the Peninsula, convened by the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.
It included representatives of residents associations, sporting groups, churches, schools, welfare services and other community groups.
The genesis of Peninsula News was described in an article in the August 2000 issue of the paper: “The community forum was formed of representatives of all significant organisations active on the Peninsula to discuss issues facing the community.
“During discussions, it soon became apparent that many individuals and groups were active but were unaware of each other.
“They also had difficulty letting the community know about their activities.
“One participant noted that he was new to the area but, where he came from, the role was served by the local paper.
“It became evident that the existing suburban papers were regional, rather than local, in nature and did not provide the possibility of a comprehensive local coverage.
“In addition to communication needs within the community, a number of important developments were planned for the Peninsula by Gosford Council as well as the private sector.
“These represented investments of many millions of dollars and had long-term implications for our lifestyle on the Peninsula.
“A major deficiency in our social infrastructure was identified and the forum encouraged Mark Snell to pursue his idea of establishing a community-based newspaper.
“He believed that a newspaper was needed that was a rich information source and provided the community with the opportunity to discuss topical issues.
“He felt the area was already well served with advertising media and material with an emphasis on entertainment.
“It was with this background that a newspaper association was formed with an aim to provide a newspaper that was conscious of its community development role.”
The aims of the association include supporting and encouraging active interest and participation in the community; strengthening the social fabric, the sense of belonging and health of the community; and encouraging pride in the strengths and opportunities available of the community.
“Providing a comprehensive news coverage of community life” is described as pursuing a purpose of advancing social and public welfare.
SOURCE:
Mark Snell, 6 Aug 2020