Sad news on Wednesday that all five of Palma’s news stands are to close at the end of September for financial reasons. I’ve been a regular customer at my local news stand in Plaza Progreso ever since we moved to Mallorca in 1982, and a daily walk down the road to buy the papers has always been part of my morning ritual and exercise regime.
The town hall should be paying the operators to run these stands in the public interest, not charging them a huge rent (90,000 euros a year was mentioned for rent alone) for the service they are providing. Staff salaries and social security are costly these days, and profits from newspapers, magazines and confectionery are probably not abundant, so a little help from us, the local taxpayer, via the town hall, surely wouldn’t go amiss.
While anyone can get their news from digital sources, there’s still a market for those who want to get their hands on in-depth newspaper features, glossy magazine articles and travel guides to entertain, educate and enlighten us in the comfort of our own homes, on the bus, or wherever we may wish to consume such tactile delights. The fact that the news stands are located near major bus hubs is no coincidence, and they provide a valuable service for tourists and residents alike. They also brighten up the area with their visual displays, and the city will be a duller place without them.
And more to the point, where will visitors to our city be able to see and obtain their copy of the weekly Mallorca Bulletin, packed with information about what’s going on where on the island, with so many informative articles and features relevant to this lovely island, if these precious news stands are allowed to disappear ?