Select Committee · Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Sustainability of local journalism

Status: Closed Opened: 14 Feb 2022 Closed: 24 May 2023 7 recommendations 2 conclusions 1 report

The DCMS Committee will examine what challenges face local news organisations and what support should be put in place in order to maintain their democratic function. The Sustainability of Local Journalism inquiry will consider the operation of the market for local journalism and how that is affected by increasing competition from social media and public … Show more

Reports

1 report

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
Seventh Report - Sustainability of local journalism	HC 153	25 Jan 2023	9	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

1 item

6 Recommendation Seventh Report - Sustainability of loca… Accepted

Access to more philanthropic funding could help ensure the sustainability of the local news sector.

Access to more philanthropic funding could help ensure the sustainability of the local news sector. Many, though not all, local news publishers would benefit from charitable status, but this is currently very difficult for news organisations to achieve. We recommend that the Government, in its response to us, indicates what … Read more

Government response AI summary

The government agrees with the Review’s conclusions as to the vital local service that the community radio sector provides, and are committed to supporting its continued growth. Uplifts have been applied to the Community Radio Fund in each of the last three financial years.

Read full response →

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions

Date	Witnesses
18 Oct 2022	Julia Lopez MP · Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Robert Specterman-Green · Department for Culture, Media and Sport	View ↗
7 Jul 2022	David Floyd · Social Spider CIC, George Brock · Charitable Journalism Project, Karl Hancock · Nub News, Maria Breslin · Liverpool Echo, Matt Abbott · Independent Community News Network, Polly Perkins · Burngreave Messenger	View ↗
28 Jun 2022	David Higgerson · Reach plc, John Severinson · Meta, Paul Hutchinson · Bedford Independent, Professor Natalie Fenton · Media Reform Coalition, Rhodri Talfan Davies · BBC, Tom Morrison-Bell · Google	View ↗
17 May 2022	Adam Cantwell-Corn · The Bristol Cable, David Powell · Local TV Network, Jonathan Heawood · Public Interest News Foundation, Martin Steers · UK Community Radio Network, Michelle Stanistreet · National Union of Journalists, Owen Meredith · News Media Association	View ↗

Who gave evidence

20 witnesses

Witness	Organisation	Sessions
Adam Cantwell-Corn · Co-Founder	The Bristol Cable	1
David Floyd · Director	Social Spider CIC	1
David Higgerson · Chief Audience Officer	Reach plc	1
David Powell · Chair	Local TV Network	1
George Brock · Chair	Charitable Journalism Project	1
John Severinson · Head of News Partner Development, Europe	Meta	1
Jonathan Heawood · Executive Director	Public Interest News Foundation	1
Julia Lopez MP · Minister of State	Department for Culture, Media and Sport	1
Karl Hancock · Chief Executive	Nub News	1
Maria Breslin · Editor	Liverpool Echo	1
Martin Steers · Co-founder	UK Community Radio Network	1
Matt Abbott · Deputy Director	Independent Community News Network	1
Michelle Stanistreet · General Secretary	National Union of Journalists	1
Owen Meredith · Chief Executive	News Media Association	1
Paul Hutchinson · Co-founder	Bedford Independent	1
Polly Perkins · Editor	Burngreave Messenger	1
Professor Natalie Fenton · Founder	Media Reform Coalition	1
Rhodri Talfan Davies · Director of Nations	BBC	1
Robert Specterman-Green · Director, Media and Creative Industries	Department for Culture, Media and Sport	1
Tom Morrison-Bell · Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager	Google	1