Have you ever wondered why it seems that the same 'news' is everywhere? Perhaps it's because at present 149 BBC funded Local Democracy Reporters have been allocated to news organisations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, rising to 165 from July 2021
The BBC states:
"The journalists are funded by the BBC as part of its latest Charter commitment but employed by regional news organisations. At present 149 Local Democracy Reporters, rising to 165 from July 2021, have been allocated to news organisations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
These organisations range from a radio station to online media companies and established regional newspaper groups. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations ... Stories written by the democracy reporters are shared with more than 900 media titles and outlets that have signed up to be part of the Local News Partnerships scheme." (Info & PDF)
The full list of organisations that are currently awarded contracts (pre-July 21 contracts and map) can be viewed here.
From July 2021 eighteen news organisations will employ Local Democracy Reporters. (PDF). The BBC states.
"Every local authority area in the United Kingdom will be covered ... the BBC fund journalists to cover the work of local councils and other local public bodies.
"LDRs provide vital scrutiny of decisions made on the public’s behalf, with more than 200,000 stories delivered since the launch of the service in January 2018.
"The journalism they produce is made available for free to the BBC and more than 1,000 individual news titles or outlets across the country." Full list of 2021 contract awards and map
"The BBC has recommitted to the Local News Partnership until the end of its current Charter in 2027." (12MAY21) - The team which manages BBC Local News Partnerships - About Us - (12MAY21)
- Directory of Partners (12MAY21) including
- Weston, Worle & Somerset Mercury - Archant Community Media Limited
- Somerset Live - Reach Plc
- Very few independent newspapers left without an LDR influence
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See also:
- The company that owns the Weston Mercury (PDF) and North Somerset Times (PDF) has announced it is to come under new ownership. Norwich-based Archant has been acquired by Rcapital (04SEP20 & PDF)
- Whistleblower: Newspaper industry chiefs criminally negligent over Covid scaremongering (PDF)
- OFCOM Video Sharing Platform Consultation
- Cairncross Report 12FEB19 - (LDRs)
- page 7, " The reduction in public-interest reporting seems to reduce community engagement with local democracy (such as voter turnout) and the accountability of local institutions."
- page 77 - Section 5.1 "The digital transition has undermined the provision of public-interest journalism"
- page 88 - Conclusion -"Government has several roles in supporting the future of journalism. ...But in the case of public-interest journalism, there are wider responsibilities... Of all the areas where intervention to support high-quality journalism is justified, local democracy reporting is the most urgent and important. The loss of coverage by professional reporters of the machinery of local and regional government is a serious issue for a democracy... No area of journalism is so important for the health of local democracy."
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"Government has several roles in supporting the future of journalism. One is to ensure that markets work fairly, and are not distorted by large companies. Another is to help publishers adapt to the online world, by encouraging the development and distribution of new technologies and business models. These apply to all high-quality journalism. But in the case of public-interest journalism, there are wider responsibilities.
Of all the areas where intervention to support high-quality journalism is justified, local democracy reporting is the most urgent and important. The loss of coverage by professional reporters of the machinery of local and regional government is a serious issue for a democracy. Simply preserving the status quo will not be sufficient - or possible: the combination of more efficient online rivals for advertising with the potential of social media to provide a sense of local activities and events means that a traditional local paper has a limited future. This makes the search for sustainable new business models for local news all the more urgent. No area of journalism is so important for the health of local democracy."
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