Recession, technology and web evolution are among the most influential factors.
It means we have small fellas such as the Pontardawe-based Community Magazines thriving alongside big players such as BBC Wales.
If you don't know the Swansea area's Community Magazines, by the way, they have local editions for communities as diverse as Brynaman, Glynneath, Taibach and Mumbles and circulate an impressive 113,000.
The industry changes mean that I'll make every effort to clock 440+ miles one Tuesday in May to go to Cambridgeshire and back.
The UK’s first Specialist Media Show - http://www.thespecialistmediashow.com/ - will have conference sessions, an exhibition and workshops for media pro's and others. It'll attract editors, ad pro's and marketing managers plus people from many supply businesses.
Show organisers have also created the Specialist Media Pioneer Awards, recognising innovation and entrepreneurial thinking.
They say: "Whilst newspapers and mass media are struggling to find new business models, independent specialist media are applying innovation and entrepreneurial thinking."
Magazine Athletics Weekly, for instance, set the pace by selling digital editions on an iPhone app, Cricket World magazine has a website with more than 1.1 million unique users and live TV webcasting, and http://www.thefrenchpaper.com/ provides a news service for ex-pats in France.
Show figurehead Carolyn Morgan said: "Independents are prepared to innovate and experiment with all the new media channels, and we want to celebrate that and inspire others.
"The challenge for content creators is to deliver in ever more useful and valuable ways, whether through digital, mobile, events or print."
That goes for the Swansea Bay media too. If anybody wishes to join me on a Peterborough adventure, just give me a shout on 07758 745240.
- The Specialist Media Show, Exec, Peterborough, 25 May, contact carolyn@thespecialistmediashow.com
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