Ministers Urged To Publish Strategy For Saving Local Journalism
4 min read
The government has been urged to set out a strategy for reversing the decline of regional media "before it is too late".
Baroness Stowell of Beeston, who last year produced recommendations for helping the industry in her former role as chair of the Communications and Digital Committee, said: "It is more than disappointing that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport long-promised local newspaper strategy has yet to emerge and there’s no sign of when it will.
“There is a limit to what any government can or should do, as the news industry must always be independent. But we must not allow local news to disappear – especially as more power is devolved to mayors and unitary authorities."
PoliticsHome understands that the government has set up an industry working group to help ministers create a local media strategy, having hosted a roundtable with local newspaper editors in the spring.
However, Stowell and others are concerned by what they describe as a lack of urgency, pointing to the absence of a clear timeline for when the strategy will be announced.
“Before it’s too late," Stowell said, "the government needs to come forward with a plan which ensures the BBC works – not competes – with the commercial local news industry and incentivises the recruitment of journalists who can provide vital coverage of local government and hold local politicians to account.”
The 2024 Communications and Digital Committee report warned about the risk of a “two-tier” media environment, in which people who are willing to pay for news via methods like subscriptions are well catered for, while others are left with diminishing local journalism.
The committee set out several reasons for the decline in regional media, including AI, financial difficulties, and the rise of social media as a source of news.
As well as the creation of a local media strategy, the committee report recommended tax breaks for hiring local journalists, more training, and an expanded Local Democracy Reporting Service, all being able to “help local newsroom finances without creating undue distortions”.
Press Gazette research published last year found that, since 2005, “at least 293 local newspapers have closed” across the country, creating concern for the approximately 4.1m UK residents living in “local news deserts”, an area with no dedicated local news outlet.
Caroline Dinenage, Conservative MP for Gosport and Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, told PoliticsHome that MPs on her committee will be "pressing" culture secretary Lisa Nandy when she appears before them later this year.
“Despite her [Nandy's] pledge to bring forward the local media strategy early in the new year, we're still waiting.
"Given the ongoing challenge to survive that many publications face and the vital role local journalism plays in our communities, there really is no time to lose."
Dawn Alford, Chief Executive of the Society of Editors, said: “We are disappointed that, despite warm words by the government, no action has yet been forthcoming to help support the news sector – particularly the regional and local press.
“It is concerning that, despite vowing to protect ‘fearless and truthful’ journalism, the government’s words continue to be undermined by its actions – or lack thereof."
Alford accused the Department for Education of de-prioritising journalism as a subject, risking a “devastating impact” on those from under-represented backgrounds.
In May, the DfE issued new guidance for the Office for Students, instructing that financial support for disadvantaged students be moved away from journalism and towards STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses.
She also accused ministers of prioritising "the growth of AI at the expense of content creators and news publishers".
The Labour government has been fiercely criticised by high-profile artists for what they describe as a lack of copyright protections for creators from AI in the Data Bill.
“The government has spoken publicly about the dangers posed by the ‘darker side of social media’, where ‘facts are disputed and division is sown’, and ministers are missing a vital opportunity to help promote and celebrate the brilliant and extraordinary local media, particularly as an antidote to fake news and conspiracy theories online.
“The Society, and wider industry, stands ready to work with the government to discuss support for the sector and its Local Media Strategy, which, so far, we have no details on," he said.
A DCMS spokesperson told PoliticsHome: “The sustainability of local journalism across the country is absolutely vital and we are developing a Local Media Strategy to recognise the importance of the sector.
“We are working across government and with other stakeholders as the strategy develops and we will announce more details in the coming months.”
