UK government awards £6 million to support local journalism

The UK government awarded £6 million in grants to 50 local news providers to support the long-term sustainability of local journalism in England and Wales.

The government distributed these grants to local print, online news outlets, and independent local TV and radio stations. These organisations will use the money to invest in digital tools, apps, and multimedia services to reach younger audiences and create more sustainable income sources.

The government also awarded grants of up to £275,000 to seven organisations, including software developers, to build infrastructure that benefits the entire sector. Media Minister Ian Murray stated that the government wants to prevent local journalism from collapsing because it is critical to communities and helps hold power to account. The funding is part of the Local Media Action Plan, which seeks to rebuild social trust and support local growth as audiences move more towards online news.

Next year, the government plans to dedicate £1 million of the fund to tackling news deserts, which are areas without any dedicated local news outlets. The government also launched the Inspiring the Future careers campaign to encourage children to enter the journalism profession. This pilot program reached more than 11,000 students across more than 100 schools in the North West of England.

The campaign targeted schools in deprived areas, where 79% of students had eligibility for free school meals above the national average. The government plans to roll the campaign out nationally after it evaluates the results.