[originaltext] Visitors to Britain sometimes are surprised to learn that new

Visitors to Britain sometimes are surprised to learn that newspapers there have such a large circulation. The Daily Mirror and the Daily Express both sell about four million copies every day. Apart from the national papers, there is another branch of the British press which sells almost as many copies. Local newspapers have a circulation of 13 million. Almost every town and country area has one.
    Local newspapers are written almost entirely for readers interested in local events— births, weddings, deaths, council meetings and sports—but the content is naturally influenced by the kind of community they serve. A great deal of local news is regularly supplied by clubs and churches in the neighborhood and it does not get out of date as quickly as national news.
    Local newspapers do not often comment on problems of national importance and editors rarely take sides on political questions. They can often be of service to the community in expressing public feeling on local issues. A newspaper can sometimes persuade the council to take action to provide better shopping facilities, improve transport in the area and preserve local monuments and places of interest.
    These papers often sound rather dull and it seems surprising that they all make a profit. However, for many people in small towns and villages the death of someone known to them or the installation of traffic lights at a busy corner nearby can sometimes be more important than a disaster in a foreign country.