Local Democracy Reporters (LDRs) will today highlight their work holding power to account in local communities with a Day of Action during the News Media Association’s Journalism Matters campaign which highlights the role of journalism as a critical part of our national infrastructure.
NMA Chief Executive Theo Bamber said: “A financially sustainable, plural and diverse news ecosystem is essential to democracy and the public interest, and the BBC and commercial news publishers should have distinct but complementary roles in doing that.
“The Charter Review must deliver a commitment to this from the BBC, along with a more robust competition framework for the BBC that is fit for today’s fast-changing media landscape.”
Iliffe Media Group Chief Operating Officer Ian Carter said: “The Local News Partnership is an example of the huge benefits that can be delivered to the public through meaningful partnership between the BBC and independent local news titles.
“The Local Democracy Reporting Service should be expanded through the Charter Review process to increase the volume of local public interest news coverage delivered to local audiences through the scheme.”
The Local Democracy Reporting Service is part of the Local News Partnership between the local news media sector and the BBC.
Paul Rowland, editorial director, News, Reach, said: “The Prime Minister has said this week that local news media is a vital ingredient to the success of his plans to devolve power out of Westminster to the regions.
“Central to that will be ensuring that the relationship between the BBC and commercial news sector is a healthy and productive one which truly benefits local audiences by strengthening media plurality at a local level.”
Richard Porritt, Newsquest editorial transformation director, said: “The BBC Charter Review is an opportunity to put partnership and collaboration right at the heart of the BBC’s mission. To do so will ensure the BBC contributes to thriving and plural media sector rather than continuing to risk the BBC crowding out commercial players with its own activities.”
The Journalism Matters campaign launched on Monday with the Prime Minister describing journalism as a vital part of our national infrastructure, also stressing that local news media is critical to the success of the government’s headline devolution agenda.
Speaking at the Journalism Matters parliamentary reception, Manchester Evening News editor Sarah Lester said government must do more to protect trusted journalism from serious threats such as the dominance of the tech platforms and the threat of strategic lawsuits against public participation.
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