Culture Secretary backs local and regional news in Facebook fight
CULTURE Secretary Jeremy Wright has backed local journalism, saying that losing newspapers which serve their communities risks undermining democracy.
The UK Minister said that regional and local titles were under immense pressure because of the growth of online media and the strangling of advertising revenues by internet giants such as Google and Facebook.
Mr Wright has spoken out in support of recommendations made by the Cairncross Review into the sustainability of the production and distribution of high-quality journalism, which were delivered earlier this month.
The review called for online platforms to have a “news quality obligation” overseen by a regulator, direct funding for local news, new tax reliefs to support public interest journalism and a new Institute for Public Interest News to focus on the future of local and regional press.
The Culture Secretary said: “Last week the Cairncross Review into the future of the press painted a vivid picture of the challenges facing high-quality journalism in the UK.
“Most people who read news now do so online, including 91 per cent of 18-to-24 year olds. Money made through advertising has also shifted that way, mostly into the hands of Google and Facebook.
“A quarter of all local newspapers closed in the past decade and the number of journalists dropped by six thousand.
“The Cairncross Review makes clear that one type of news we cannot do without is public interest journalism.”
He added: “Journalism is unique because its decline wouldn’t just have financial implications for the companies involved, but would have serious democratic costs too.
“Research has shown that people in areas with no local daily paper are less engaged with local elections, with less trust in local institutions.
“The Review proposes how to put our media on a stronger and more sustainable footing. One of the recommendations is for a doubling of the journalists funded through the Local Democracy Reporting Service.”
This £8 million a year scheme funds 150 reporters embedded within regional and local papers.
Around 850 local media titles have now signed up.
Mr Wright said: “They’re holding local power to account and shining a light on the important issues in local communities.
“We mustn’t find in 10 years’ time that trustworthy news sources have disappeared with our democracy damaged as a result. So we will carefully consider the Review’s recommendations, looking at ways to preserve and nurture quality local reporting and to support the transition of the industry from print to digital.
“We’ve already announced that we will conduct a review on how online advertising is regulated in the UK.
“I believe wholeheartedly that journalism should be accessible to as many people as possible and that the press industry can overcome its challenges.”