SCOTLAND'S public interest journalism is in “crisis”, a leading media group has warned, as it urged the new minister with responsibility for media to follow UK and Welsh moves to protect local news from tech giants and collapsing revenues.
The Scottish Public Interest Journalism Initiative (SPIJI) has warned the negative impact of unregulated tech giants and other issues such the changing nature of news consumption are making it "increasingly difficult to maintain the flow of trustworthy news across Scotland when the public is swamped with fake news and misinformation".
SPIJI chair Richard Walker – the founding editor of The National –has warned the newly appointed Cabinet Secretary for Culture Mairi McAllan (below), that the problem has reached crisis proportions which demand Scottish Government recognition and action.
Walker said: ‘‘It is hard to think of a time when fearless and trustworthy journalism has been more essential for a functioning democracy and yet factors such as dramatic funding reductions and new technology are increasingly undermining the sustainability of the news business.
"Issues such as the diversion of over 80 per cent of UK marketing and advertising revenue from publishers to tech giants show a strong independent media industry cannot be left to the free market.’’
The UK Government is said to have recognised that case when it launched its Local Media Action Plan in March, which includes the launch of a local news fund of £6 million in its first year and up to a further £6m in the second year.
Lisa Nandy, the UK Culture Secretary, described local media as ‘‘the lifeblood of our democracy’’ when launching the fund.
She added: ‘‘We believe there is a market for local media that is growing. In a world where facts are contested and debate has moved to the extremes, people are seeking out news they can trust and stories that reflect their lives and communities. As audiences move online, the foundations that once sustained local journalism have been shaken.’’
Nandy also highlighted how local publishers have been forced to shut their doors, leading to significant job losses, which have included hundreds in Scotland. She further warned that vital stories could be left untold.
The Welsh Government has also acted, allocating £350,000 to a number of grant schemes aimed at strengthening local news.
Walker said he hopes the Westminster and Welsh initiatives have established the principle of government funds being used to safeguard the sustainability of public service journalism.
The creation of SPIJI was one of the recommendations of a Scottish Government working group set up in 2021 to look into the future of Scotland’s news industry.
The group was recently successfully registered with Companies House and is preparing to launch a fundraising campaign and commission detailed research into news provision around Scotland.
The SPIJI working party includes representatives from journalism, publishers, the National Union of Journalists, and academics.
