50 local news providers awarded grants of up to £125,000 to support long-term sustainability and growth this Journalism Matters Week
Fifty organisations are set to benefit from the government’s £6 million Local News Fund, helping to ensure people can continue to benefit from trusted, high-quality local journalism.
With audiences moving online and consuming their news through an increasingly diverse range of sources, the role of local journalism has never been more important, especially as the Government seeks to devolve power to a local level , given its integral role in holding power to account and tackling mis- and disinformation online.
Central to the Government’s ‘Amplify: The Local Media Action Plan’ , the Local News Fund aims to strengthen communities and social cohesion, rebuild social trust, and support local growth by supporting local journalism.
The majority of funding has been awarded to local print and online news outlets and independent local TV and radio stations, who received grants of up to £125,000. The money will be used to invest in community outreach projects, digital tools, apps and new multimedia services that can help these organisations reach new and younger audiences while developing more sustainable sources of income.