Put council job adverts on web official

London: Council job adverts should be published online to save money, increase transparency and help reduce pointless posts, says Eric Pickles, the local government secretary.

In a speech on Tuesday afternoon, Pickles explained the commercial logic behind the strategy, one that could well lead to a further decrease in ad revenue for national, regional and local newspapers.

Pickles pointed out in his speech to the Local Government Association conference that it can cost £5,000 (Dh27,853) to £10,000 to place an advert in some national newspapers.

Though he said that his plan will not end advertising in the media, it is bound — over time, if not sooner, to depress newspaper revenues.

In an attempt to ameliorate the regional press industry's concerns, he said that local papers would remain an important resource to advertise jobs to those who may be "digital excluded". However, given the coalition's determination to extend broadband access, the long-time prospects for newspaper income from local authorities looks dire.