When I started in journalism in the 1970s there was a certain disdain among journalists for those engaged in the grubby business of making money. But nowadays, due largely to the kinds of job losses among journalists during the 1980s, there is a genuine appreciation of the business end of the media. Journalism is still a vocation, but there is an awareness now that to make the vocation work, the business has to be successful. On balance, there is a realisation that the marketing aspect has actually facilitated journalism - because of the importance of being close to the market. Our mission at the Kerryman, in accordance with our marketing strategy, is to meet local demands. As with all regional papers, our readership spans the entire spectrum. We have 90 per cent of the adult readership in our area, which covers the entire county of Kerry. We cover stories from the achievement of the local under-14 football team to financial issues which effect locally based international companies. National and international issues are covered, but in terms of how they impact locally.

Essentially, the Kerryman is a local product raising local issues that will add value to the lives of the readers. The modern editor is a brand manager. Like all products, the Kerryman operates according to the "four Ps": price, place, product, promotion. In my experience, and from having listened to accounts of people who work in family-owned newspapers, Independent Newspapers has acted as a liberating force. The content of the Kerryman has always been the remit of the editor and, being part of a much wider commercial venture, we are not tied by the constraints of smaller owners. Having an owner who is driven by marketing principles is very rewarding for modern journalists, because it places the responsibility of the success or failure of the paper with them. The demands of the market and a clear market focus are entirely compatible with the best principles of journalism. Your readership is your market and market acceptability is crucial. Readers want their paper to subscribe to traditional journalistic principles. If there is a conflict of interests between those principles and business concerns, you have to prioritise. There may be some short-term turbulence from the commercial end of the paper, but you have to stick to your knitting. By adhering to the best principles of journalism, the market will be satisfied.

I would work a 55-hour week here. Some days I'll be in the office until after midnight. I am involved in everything from content to budgetary squabbles - essentially, anything that supports the title is the responsibility of the modern editor. But when all is said and done about the importance of running a successful business, the best thing about the job is the buzz you get delivering something to the public which someone would rather you didn't publish - on issues ranging from politics to child sexual abuse. The worst thing is fighting with people over shillings - I hate budgets! The bane of my life is the shortage of skills among journalists: the lack of keyboard and shorthand skills - what I call hygiene factors - in other words, the basics. It's all very well journalists aspiring to be columnists with The Irish Times, but if you're sitting in the District Court trying to get a story in the middle of all that babble, aspirations are no use to you if you can't get your notes down rapidly. Without your shorthand, you've nothing!