MPs demand urgent regulation and funding for local news industry
MPs have called for urgent investment, reform, and regulation to revive local journalism in the face of enormous financial pressures and the threat of big tech.
On 3 December, MPs from across the political spectrum met in Westminster Hall for a debate on the future of local media, with many discussing the devastating impact of closures and redundancies at publications in their own communities.
Rebecca Long-Bailey, MP for Salford and NUJ parliamentary group chair, cited stark data showing around 300 local papers had gone out of business since 2005 and that millions now live news deserts or communities with only one local title.
Long-Bailey said:
“We all know what that means - when there is no one in the room holding power to account, decisions are taken in the dark. When there is no local reporter at council meetings, in our courts or on our high streets, communities lose their voice. People lose the very information they need to understand what is happening in their constituencies, and what is happening in their lives.”
She added that it’s “time for a reset” and recommended various practical measures outlined in the NUJ’s News Recovery Plan, which includes reforming media ownership rules with a strengthened public interest test; establishing a journalism foundation to support new media and invest in public interest journalism; and introducing a 6% windfall tax on tech giants.
John McDonnell, MP for Hayes and Harlington and NUJ parliamentary group secretary, said a 6% tax on big tech companies - which have “exploited the whole industry and made fortunes” - would mean that money could be reinvested in local journalism, providing much-needed support. He added that media ownership regulations need to be revisited, highlighting the NUJ’s call for a market share cap of 25% and urging that new models of ownership be explored.
Several MPs rallied against the government’s plans to scrap public notices in local papers. Brian Mathew, MP for Melksham and Devizes, said: “Those notices should be an important source of income for small, independent publishers and it would be one small way in which we elected officials can continue to… help independent local news organisations, which are keeping the flame of honest journalism alive.” Peter Fortune, MP for Bromley and Biggin Hill, added that the proposal “risks irreparably damaging the public’s right to know.” McDonnell noted that alcohol licensing notices are “a valuable source of money” for local papers and called on the government to retain the requirement to publish public notices, including those relating to local governance changes. “There isn’t a person here who doesn’t value their local paper for holding himself or herself to account,” said McDonnell.
MPs also called for new regulations around the use of artificial intelligence, which publishers are increasingly turning to in order to churn out copy. Long-Bailey said: “The overwhelming majority of people want transparency in AI-generated news, and they do not believe that the current safeguards are enough.” McDonnell similarly noted the huge number of redundancies at Reach in recent months and the use of AI to give the false impression that news is localised.
Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, pointed to the critical role local journalism plays in providing trusted news to audiences and the need for proper resourcing to combat mis- and disinformation spreading online, particularly on social media.
Maskell said:
“This new digital world is spinning out of control and the toxicity it generates is making some people incredibly vulnerable. We must look at regulation...I recommend the NUJ’s ‘A Future for News’ plan, which sets out a balanced approach to how we move forward.”
Some MPs warned that marginalised communities would be disproportionately affected if the erosion of local media is not addressed. Alison Hume, MP for Scarborough and Whitby, highlighted that local papers remain the main source of news for many who are digitally excluded. Meanwhile Jim Shannon, MP for Strangford, said: “My constituency as a whole is very rural, and many down my neck of the woods do not have access to the same broadband as some urban areas, so access to online news is not great. My constituents rely on the local post office or corner shop to get their news by buying their local Newtownards Chronicle, or they keep the one radio in their house on all day to get the updates.”
Both Long-Bailey and McDonnell ended by highlighting the opportunity provided by BBC Charter Renewal to reform the Local Democracy Reporter scheme, reverse damaging local radio cuts and guarantee sustainable funding for independent, trusted local news.