Select committee: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Conclusion 2
Seventh Report - Sustainability of local journalism
Published 25 Jan 2023
Paragraph 35
Addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee Sustainability of local journalism All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The LDRS has had a positive impact on local journalism by enabling important local news stories to get coverage where otherwise they might not. But more could be done to expand the service across different media platforms and to give access to a wider range of news providers. The BBC must also ensure that partner news providers use Local Democracy Reporters for their intended purposes. The LDRS should be protected under forthcoming Charter negotiations, and we encourage the BBC to explore ways to widen the scope of the service.
From: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Seventh Report - Sustainability of local journalism (HC 153), paragraph 35, 25 January 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 17 May 2023 (deadline 9 May 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the Committee's report and agrees with its overall assessment of journalism's role and the sector's financial challenges, while setting out varied positions on individual recommendations.
- On a long-term public interest news fund, it "continue[s] to explore options for additional fiscal measures", while "mindful of the current financial climate". Any further funding would build on the Future News Fund model.
- On statutory notices, it does "not intend to conduct a review" of rules and practices, citing the risk that intervention could harm an "already fragile industry". It is monitoring the sector's Public Notice Portal.
- On an audit of public money for local news, it says it "would therefore not be appropriate" to analyse expenditure with a view to redistribution. It describes a Cabinet Office pilot with Nub News to test its value as an advertising channel after the local elections.
- On fair remuneration for smaller publishers, it points to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, under which the DMU "could" set conduct requirements, including on "fair and reasonable payment terms". These would vary case by case.