Local journalism plays an important role in local democracy, yet the sector faces significant financial challenges. Print circulation and advertising revenue have declined sharply in recent years, and many local news organisations struggle to secure stable funding through digital channels.
Alma Economics was commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to explore the relationship between local news provision and local government performance.
The research combined qualitative and quantitative methods, drawing on semi-structured interviews with more than 30 journalists, editors, and local authority officials, alongside statistical analysis of historical data on governance performance and news provision.
The qualitative analysis found evidence supporting the hypothesis that local news provision contributes to more effective local governance through three mechanisms:
The quantitative analysis did not find supporting statistical evidence for these relationships, a discrepancy likely attributable to the inherent difficulty of measuring both local governance performance and news provision with precision.
The research identifies priority areas for future data collection and methodological development that could help strengthen the evidence base in this area.
Read the report here
