A Lifeline For Independent News Publishers During Covid-19

Over ten years ago, when I was at the BBC, I pitched a daytime series called “Headline Hunters”.

The idea was simple enough. Two presenters would be parachuted into a local newspaper’s newsroom for a week, they would work with the paper’s local journalists and compete to write the newspapers’ headline story. In the process they would find out about the local community and the local history.

It was basically BBC’s Coast meets a celebration of local journalism.

We made a 5 minute taster tape and had several discussions with the relevant commissioners.

Unfortunately it was not meant to be. And the world was deprived of eating warmed up pop-tarts in their underwear in the mid-morning while watching local journalists being made into heroes.


WHY LOCAL NEWSPAPERS ARE IMPORTANT

In developing the series I learnt just how important local newspapers are.

They research and expose local issues central to people’s lives that otherwise would simply be overlooked.

They tell stories that deeply connect with people’s realities and experiences in ways national newspapers can never do.

And they are training grounds for some of our best journalists who either stay in local journalism becoming experts in their communities or they move onto larger national media outlets.

They are indispensable both to the media industry, and communities up and down the country.

But while I might think of them as indispensable since making the taster tape they have in reality proved very dispensable, as many local papers that had survived for over a hundred years have closed their doors in the last ten. (RIP Harrow Observer 1855 - 2014)


LOCAL NEWSPAPERS ARE NOT DYING BECAUSE OF LACK OF DEMAND

The main reason the majority of the newspapers have closed down is not due to lack of readers, but their advertising revenue simply dried up, migrating online. For example classified ads were the lifeblood of numerous newspapers but now there are numerous options for people who want to advertise their second hand car online for free and local shops can advertise directly to their potential customers directly through social media.

If newspapers have seen their advertising revenue slowly dry up the current pandemic could be about to see it fall off a cliff.

It is hard to get figures for small advertisers - the types that usually place ads in local papers but statistics of large large multinational businesses, who should be able to weather the pandemic better than smaller companies show that 89% of them have “paused” their advertising campaigns. That means literally no money is coming into local newspapers.

The New York Times recently looked at the state of local papers in the UK and warned that at a time when they have more readers than ever as people want to know about the local situation and Covid-19 they are in more financial danger of closing than ever due to the drop in advertising revenue.


BAME PUBLICATIONS PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE

All the arguments that apply to local newspapers also apply to BAME-focused news outlets who have also taken on increased significance during the pandemic.

It is no coincidence that it was a reporter from the Voice newspaper who was the first journalist to raise the issue of how the government's hostile immigration policy might be exacerbating the spread of the virus. Also Eastern Eye recently held a round-table of Asian medical professionals and how the virus disproportionately affects BAME communities.

And it is not only BAME-focused publications that are important. Publications that target key demographics such as the LGBTQ community and certain religious communities can connect with their audience in a way that more generalised publications cannot.


FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

The government has recognised the importance of local newspapers and the current struggles that all newspapers are suffering due to the drop in advertising. In response it recently announced a three-month advertising campaign to support the National Health Service that will inject up to 35 million pounds into publishers across the country.

However, not a penny of this so far has gone to independent publishers.


APPLY FOR EMERGENCY FUNDING NOW!

That is why the Public Interest News Foundation has launched an Emergency Fund to support independent news providers in the context of Covid-19.

I was asked to sit on the board who will be judging who should qualify for emergency support. I was incredibly honored to be asked because it is such an important issue, but one of the reasons I agreed is that I wanted to ensure that diversity in all its various forms (ethnicity, regionality, gender, sexuality, disability, etc) is considered in the process both in terms of the readership the publications serve and through the journalists they employ. 

The application process is now open and I would urge ALL independent news publishers who are suffering financial difficulties due to Covid-19 to apply. The deadline is the 2nd of June

We expect relatively established independent publishers to apply but the fund is also encouraging small publications to apply which may be no more than two people and a website trying to serve their communities.

Finally if you are reading this today (28th May) there is a Zoom conference call at 2pm (UK time) to answer all the questions people might have who are thinking of applying.

You need to register to take part in the Zoom call which you can do here.

Good luck and I am sure I speak for everyone on the judging panel when I say we look forward to receiving your applications.