A special report by Elishah Luke and Lucy Snell

Does local journalism matter? Yes. It does.

As proprietors cut titles and citizens turn to social media for local news across the country, students and journalists gathered for a discussion on the future of local news journalism, kickstarting a series of media forums organised by the journalism department at Goldsmiths University.

The dearth in viable business models in journalism has increasingly sounded the death knell for local news, but panelists at the event said the appetite for community news is alive and kicking. On the panel were Jason Gibbins, the editor of the BBC’s Local Democracy Service, David Floyd, the managing director of Social Spider, which publishes five community newspapers across London and Edward Jennings, who edits an outlet that holds the Local Authority to account in Kent.

Interview with Jason Gibbins. Video: Lucy Snell

According to research from JICREG Trust Local around 40 million people read local news online and in print, and according to a 2023 survey from Newsworks/OnePoll, 81% of people said they trust the news and information that come from their local papers and websites.

Jason Gibbins, editor of the BBC’s Local Democracy Service said to EastLondonLines: “If the community loses strong local news coverage, it loses cohesion (..) and there’s nothing to bind the community together.”

He added: “There’s so much noise now in the world through social media, through social platforms and different community groups. But a good, strong news organisation, a good strong newspaper, filters all of that into a manageable, readable format. You can spend all day on Facebook listening to gossip and listen to rumour and listening to you know this happened and that happened without ever knowing it’s true.”

Interview with David Floyd. Video: Lucy Snell

The panel also highlighted how simple actions from local journalists such as sitting in on council meetings are meaningful for holding power to account, changing policy, and the further promotion of democracy.

Floyd told ELL: “It’s really important to find out about what’s happening at a local level…from our point of view as a local news publisher, [local news] is important, as it’s about holding power to account, finding out about what local public agencies such as councils are doing, and [noting] the concerns and lives and experiences of local people in the areas that we serve.”

Students and journalists attended the university’s Media Forum. Pic: Lucy Snell

The discussion was not without tension. One student’s question on the lack of diversity in the news media left the panel struggling to respond, with one of the contributors confessing they were not proud of the current state of the industry.

In the past few years, criticism around diversity in the media lead to pledges to make journalism more inclusive. However, according to an NCTJ Diversity report, in 2022, 12% of people from ethnic minorities were working in journalism, a 6% increase from 2018, although 14% of that number were working in junior roles. In senior roles, only 6% were working as editors.

Professor Natalie Fenton, who was moderating the panel said: “Yes, holding power to account sends us into local authorities and courtrooms. But if we actually flip that and say that local democracy does not flourish where citizens are powerless, then local newspapers have a role in dealing with that powerlessness. Who is the most powerless? And how can we change those oppressive structures that have been ongoing in our communities for a long time?”

The next Media Forum, “Beyond digital: new ways with news” will be held this week on October 24th at 5:30pm in Professor Stuart Hall Building, Goldsmiths, University of London.