Some 50 local news publishers have been awarded grants of up to £125,000 as part of the UK Government’s initiative to help fill “news deserts”.

The funding forms part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) Local Media Strategy, a two-year programme backed by £12m for local publishers to support long-term sustainability of journalism across the UK.

The majority of funding has been awarded to local print and online news outlets and independent local TV and radio stations. Publishers that have been selected for the funding include Mill Media, Byline Times, Leicester Gazette, NN Journal and the Island Echo.

Stand Up For Southport, a hyperlocal news site, was selected as a recipient of funding, partly for its lack of local news sources and its history of misinformation fuelling riots during the Southport attack in 2024.

The grants are intended to be used for publishers to invest in community outreach projects, digital tools, apps and new multimedia services, with an aim to reach younger audiences and developing sustainable sources of revenue.

These grants are said to have been evenly distributed across England and Wales.

Only nine publishers received the maximum funding of £125,000.

A further seven organisations received funding from the £6m pot to develop infrastructure that can benefit the journalism sector, including software developers and tech companies. These organisations received higher maximum funding of up to £275,000.

Speaking to Press Gazette, Media Minister Ian Murray said: “The whole point of setting up the fund was to make sure that we could have an innovative, adaptive local news landscape right across the country that can be digitised and ready for the modern world.”

He added that local publishers also needed the funding “to compete” with social media giants and support efforts of promoting local news through the BBC Charter.

The recipients were selected by an independent steering group, added Murray, with this “important to take this out of the hands of the government”.

“I don’t know why people got the funding that they did, and others didn’t,” he said. “The steering group of external industry experts made those decisions, and I think that’s the right thing to do.”

One of the 200 applicants that didn’t receive funding was Nub News, which said it had been rejected “without any explanation”.

Recipient plans and responses

The NCTJ received £191,880 in for its Responsible AI for Trusted Local Journalism project. The initiative will aim to will develop a “responsible AI standards framework”, model newsroom policies, implementation toolkits and more.

Joanne Forbes, chief executive of the NCTJ, said: “Local journalism matters enormously. It holds power to account and tells stories that would otherwise go untold. AI could make a real difference to newsrooms already struggling with limited resources, but we must protect the quality and trust that good journalism depends on.

“We’re grateful to DCMS and the Local News Fund steering board for backing this project. It will bring publishers and journalists together to develop practical guidance and training to help newsrooms make the most of AI, from the biggest to the smallest.”

Leicester Gazette, one of six outlets in the East Midlands to be granted funding, received £81,999, which has already enabled the publisher to bring on five part-time team members, it said.

The funding will also cover a website redesign, newsletter relaunch, and upcoming three public community-listening workshops and a new audience survey.

The Gazette also plans to expand its print run to 10,000 copies, with its December issue set to appear in Leicestershire supermarkets for the first time.

“We’re thrilled to welcome this funding,” said Emma Guy, the Gazette’s membership editor. “It represents the biggest investment in the Leicester Gazette to date. We’re eager to use it to serve our community and continue producing the local journalism our readers expect.”

The Island Echo received £80,000, which it will use to boost its on-the-ground news reporting and a series of “developments” in 2027.

Darren Toogood, editor and publisher of Island Echo, said: “Every hour spent on routine administration is an hour that could otherwise be spent attending court, following up a tip-off, investigating an issue or simply getting out into the community.

“This funding gives us an opportunity to change that. We want our journalists to spend more time doing what journalists do best – finding stories, asking questions, holding people to account and being there when news happens… This grant award is an important endorsement of our ambitions for the future. It will also unlock a series of exciting developments planned for 2027 – in what will be Island Echo’s 15th year.”

Laura Davison, National Union of Journalists (NUJ) general secretary, said the government steps align with the union’s long campaigning for government grants to preserve local media. Davison added that grants being put towards “responsible” AI use would be monitored, however,

“We note that other projects focus on ‘responsible’ uses of AI in newsrooms, and the union will monitor the use and impact of these grants in consultation with members,” she said.

“While we’re excited to see what difference the funding makes, many of our members remain deeply worried about their livelihoods and the state of the industry. The level of interest in the Fund demonstrates just how much the sector has been crying out for support. We hope to see further government investment to really turn the tide.”

Theo Bamber, chief executive of News Media Association (NMA), said: “As power is devolved out of Westminster, the role of local news media holding power to account will become even more important. This initiative will support that by helping young people understand our industry, the benefits of a career in local media, and the vital role it plays in local communities across the country.”

The funding announcement has been made during Journalism Matters Week, an annual week-long event that celebrates the “vital role” that journalism plays in national life.

Coinciding with the week, the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists has agreed to meet to discuss a refreshed National Action Plan, which was launched in 2021 to better protect journalists from threats of violence and intimidation.

[Read more: UK govt publishes action plan for journalists’ safety]

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