What is the future for local journalism?
16 March 2020
The Communications and Digital Committee holds its next evidence session on the future of journalism.
- Parliament TV: The future of journalism
- Inquiry: The future of journalism
- Select Committee on Communications and Digital
Witnesses
Tuesday 17 March, Committee Room 3, Palace of Westminster
At 3.30pm
- Anaïs Adriaens-Allemand, International Project Manager, CLEMI, via videoconference
At 4.00pm
- Matteo Bergamini, CEO and Founder, Shout Out UK
The first hearing will focus on media literacy. The purpose of the first segment with Anaïs Adriaens-Allemand is to discuss CLEMI's work on how a national media literacy body could work in the UK and compare the French and UK contexts. The second segment will focus on the work of Shout Out UK. These sessions will complement the Committee's earlier session with Ofcom, The Committee are seeking written submissions on media literacy from a number of other individuals and groups, in the UK and abroad.
At 4.30pm
- Megan Lucero, Director, The Bureau Local, via videoconference;
- Adam Cantwell-Corn, Co-founder, the Bristol Cable; and
- David Floyd, Managing Director, Social Spider
In the second part of the hearing, the session will focus on local journalism. The challenges facing local journalism have received considerable attention and the purpose of this session is to consider innovative solutions to these problems.
Possible questions
Questions likely to be asked to the first panel include:
- What are the major challenges for media literacy in France and how have they changed since CLEMI was founded?
- How can media literacy initiatives support people from a lower socio-economic background?
- How can media literacy initiatives support older people?
- How media literate are young people in the UK and what are the biggest barriers to improving media literacy?
- How should media literacy be taught in schools?
Questions likely to be asked to the second panel include:
- How has local journalism been changed by the growth of digital media?
- How can local journalism remain financially sustainable as print circulations and advertising revenues decline?
- How do the challenges facing local news providers differ from those facing national news providers?
- What role should citizen journalism play at a local level?