The Government is holding a summit on the future of the local media today which will involve Culture and Media Secretary Andy Burnham meeting representatives of the the NUJ, the Newspaper Society and Ofcom.
Regional publishers are said to want the summit to win support for the relaxing of the merger regime and to stop local councils launching newspaper-style publications that take public sector ads away from local papers.
NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear said in advance of today's meeting.“The government summit must involve journalists, media owners, and community and co-operative groups. It must actively consider all options for the future of local media.”
Discussion at today’s summit will feed into the final Digital Britain report to be published by the Government this summer.
Burnham said: “Strong local media are vital to a healthy democracy and provide a crucial and trusted service to their communities.
“There are very real pressures facing local newspapers across the country, partly caused by the economic downturn, and partly by the transformation brought about by the digital age.
“Today’s summit will explore how we can support the local media industry in meeting these challenges, and continuing to thrive in the future.”
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