Jonathan Heawood
executive director Public Interest News Foundation
Eliz Mizon
communications lead The Bristol Cable
Adam Newby
acting CEO NewsNow
Columba O'Hare
founder and editor Newry.ie
Sameer Padania
director Macroscope Consultancy
Local journalism is in an existential crisis. As journalists, we often ask, ‘Who's going to save local journalism?’ – meaning, ‘who's going to pay for it?’. Given the scale of the problem, we often say that philanthropy, big tech or government must be the answer. But what if a large part of the answer – and the resources – lay within local communities themselves?
In 2022, the Public Interest News Foundation and NewsNow ran a pilot project in the four nations of the UK, asking people not only what they want from local news, but also what they are prepared to do to support it. They talked to local businesses, politicians, funders, civil society organisations, financial institutions and others about what local news means to them and their communities, and how they can help it become more relevant and sustainable. In this panel discussion, the project leaders present their findings and discuss how to revitalise local news by putting local communities in the driving seat.
Organised in association with Public Interest News Foundation.
