By Martin Joseph O’Neill
A few weeks ago, we hosted an event at the Stove called The Gaither Inn – a kind of open invitation to sit with an idea: What would it take to build a community-led publication in Dumfries?
We were joined by two brilliant guest speakers – Rhiannon Davies, founder of Greater Govanhill, and Judith Hewitt, curator and local historian – who helped us explore both the roots and future of grassroots media in Dumfries and beyond.
The evening was packed. Ideas were flying. It felt as though something was beginning – or perhaps picking up from where we had left off.
The Future
Let’s be honest: the future feels rather grim lately. Climate breakdown, inequality and a world run by billionaires can leave us feeling as if we are drifting further from control. But perhaps the future is not so distant. Maybe it is not even all that abstract – it may simply be the outcome of what we build (or do not build) now.
I like to think of it like this:
Imagine rowing out to sea. You are facing the land – your history, your memories – as you move away from it. The shore becomes blurrier, but you still carry what it has given you. You cannot see what lies ahead, yet your boat is strong. You have packed water and supplies, and you have learned how to read the sky. The future is unknown, but it is not unreachable. The direction you take depends on how well you have prepared and whether you are paying attention.
What Does This Have to Do with Print?
Quite a lot, actually. Dumfries has a history of shaping its own story and using words, print and collective knowledge as a means to connect, challenge and organise. And it is not always a history that people are aware of.
Here are a few things I did not know until recently – and perhaps you did not either (thank you, Judith):
Dumfries: Print Town
- 1715: The Dumfries Mercury became the first newspaper published in Scotland outside the central belt.
- 1750: Dumfries is recognised as one of just 15 official “Print Towns” in Scotland – on the leading edge of print culture.
- 1830s: Dumfries print workers formed the Typographical Union – one of the country’s earliest trade unions. Their work was not just about ink and type – it was about connection, fairness and voice.
- 1838: A local procession rolled through town with a flower-covered printing press on the back of a cart. On it, a banner read: “This machine kills tyrants.”
There were libraries, reading rooms, the Mechanics’ Institute at Nith Place and a culture of people sharing papers, passing them hand-to-hand, and reading them aloud in workshops and kitchens.
Henry Duncan, founder of The Dumfries & Galloway Courier in 1809, is remembered for creating one of the earliest examples of service journalism – a newspaper made not to stir scandal or sell ads, but to serve its people. He even has a statue in the town.
The point is—Dumfries knew how to talk to itself: how to debate, record, reflect, and imagine.
And I think we still can.
So We Asked: What Could a Dumfries Publication Look Like?
After hearing from Rhiannon and Judith, we invited the room to break into editorial teams and design what a new community-led publication for Dumfries might be.
Constructive Journalism:
A form of reporting that focuses on context, solutions, and potential progress — not just problems. It aims to inform while also empowering and engaging the public.
Solutions-Based Journalism:
Journalism that investigates and reports on how people are responding to social problems — focusing on what’s working, how, and why, without ignoring challenges.
Here’s what they came up with:
Shared Values
- Rooted in place: The river, the ridge, the land – not just a backdrop, but part of the story.
- Many Dumfrieses: Georgetown, Lochside, Maxwelltown, the town centre, the places on the edge. Dumfries isn’t one identity – it’s a gathering of them.
- Welcoming, but with gaps: People in Dumfries are kind, but not everyone receives the same welcome – especially asylum seekers, young people and older folk. How do we create something where everyone sees themselves?
- Tell the good stuff too: Instead of always reacting to vandalism or decline, why not report on what’s working? Who’s doing good work? What’s bringing people together?
One popular idea was to organise the publication into three parts:
Past
- Invite people to share stories and snapshots of Dumfries life.
- Run intergenerational interviews – young people asking older people real questions, for example:
- “What was your first job?”
- “Have you ever vandalised anything?”
- Let memory guide us – not to dwell, but to ground.
Present
- Address local issues: housing, racism, flooding, and public space.
- Ask: What’s being done? What’s needed? What’s worth celebrating?
- Include event listings and practical information.
Future
- Create a “dream dump” where people can send in their literal or imaginative dreams for the town.
- Invite people of all ages to describe what Dumfries could be.
- Include deeper dives into issues, comparisons with other places, or real‑world examples of people trying something new.
Other Ideas
- Community Newsroom: A drop‑in space where people can come and share what they believe should be discussed.
- Platforming underheard voices: Create space and support for those who often feel excluded from civic life – asylum seekers, people without stable housing, and young parents.
- Youth‑led Journalism: Flip the script. Support young people to report on what matters to them and how they see the town.
- Supporting groups to tell their own story: Enable local charities, community campaigns, and neighbourhood projects to speak in their own voice.
So What’s the Point of All This?
This isn’t just about ‘making a magazine’. It’s about offering people a way to see themselves in the story of Dumfries – and to see each other. It’s about moving beyond the idea that only certain people “get to” speak or be heard. It’s about creating something that reflects real lives and provides a space for people to imagine what comes next – together.
What’s Next?
This summer, we’re getting ready to launch something new at The Stove – a space in the town centre where print, design, stories and civic imagination can come together. We don’t know exactly what it will look like yet, but we’re hoping it can be part news desk, part ideas lab and part open studio. We’re also hoping it will be one way for us to start talking – and listening – differently as a town.
If you’re curious, have an idea or simply want to be part of the conversation, come and find us. We’ll be here.
