The Bedford Independent was at Westminster yesterday (4 March) to support a national briefing on the growing crisis in local journalism, as MPs heard stark warnings about the rising number of “news deserts” across the UK and the urgent need to support trusted, accountable local reporting.
The event, hosted in partnership by the Public Interest News Foundation and the Media All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) in the Houses of Parliament, used new data to show that millions of people now live in areas with no reliable local news provision.
Its central question to MPs was simple, “Is your constituency a news desert?”
Read: No reporters, no questions, no accountability: Why news deserts are a threat to our communities
New mapping published by PINF shows that 4.4 million people in the UK have no access to consistent, independent local journalism. Many more rely solely on corporate-owned outlets that cover wide regions rather than on their specific communities.
The session highlighted the difference between areas supported by small, accountable and standards-regulated publishers, and those where no meaningful scrutiny or locally produced reporting exists.
In Bedford Borough, there are only two newspapers with enforceable editorial standards codes and identifiable editorial responsibility, including the Bedford Independent, which proudly follows the standards set by Impress.
Impress is the only press regulator to be recognised as independent and effective by the Press Recognition Panel (PRP) under the terms of the Royal Charter on Self-Regulation of the Press.
A region under strain
Data shared with MPs shows the East of England, which includes the area covered by the Bedford Independent, ranks seventh out of 12 regions for local news provision.
- Population: 6,398,497
- Total titles: 112
- Outlets per 100,000 residents: 1.75 (25 per cent lower than the national average)
Five districts in the region are classed as absolute news deserts with no local news outlet at all: Broadland, Broxbourne, Castle Point, Rochford and Three Rivers.
A further three districts are relative news deserts, meaning they have no dedicated outlet for their area: East Cambridgeshire, Hertsmere and Stevenage.
Coverage there relies entirely on large corporate publishers, leaving more than a quarter of a million residents without independent, locally produced reporting.
See for yourself: PINF local news map
Why accountable, local journalism matters
PINF told MPs that when trusted local news disappears, public understanding of local issues declines, misinformation spreads more easily, and communities lose vital scrutiny of councils, emergency services, developers and public bodies.
Local journalism also provides connection and civic participation, helping residents understand decisions affecting schools, roads, planning, healthcare and community safety.
PINF is calling for four key interventions:
- Creation of an arms-length Local News Fund to regenerate local news
- Stronger partnership between the BBC and local publishers at Charter Review
- Protection of statutory public notices to sustain transparency and local accountability
- A firm timeline for the Competition and Markets Authority to bring Google to the negotiating table over revenue derived from UK news content
Bedford MP backs calls
Bedford and Kempston MP Mohammad Yasin (Labour) attended the event and spoke with PINF Executive Director Jonathan Heawood and editors from independent publications across the UK.
After the briefing, he said: “In Bedford and Kempston, we are fortunate to be served by strong, independent local journalism that plays a vital role in our community and our democracy.
“But across the country, sustaining reliable, balanced and accurate local reporting is becoming increasingly difficult, because good journalism is not cheap. It requires time, expertise and dedication.
“We cannot take local news for granted. It needs proper support, which is why I back calls for an arm’s length local news fund to strengthen journalism across the UK and to stop the rollback of public notices that help sustain trusted local reporting.”
Read: A guide to how journalism works and why it needs your support
“Huge support in Parliament” for regenerating local news
Jonathan Heawood, Executive Director of PINF, said the event showed cross-party recognition that the UK’s local news ecosystem is at a critical point.
“Yesterday’s event, held in partnership between the Public Interest News Foundation and the Media APPG, demonstrated the huge amount of support in Parliament for the regeneration of local news,” he said.
“It was great to talk to MPs from around the UK and across the political spectrum about the great work of independent local news providers in their constituencies, as well as the challenges facing the sector, such as the total disruption of traditional business models as advertising revenue and audience attention are co-opted by big tech.
“Attendees heard about the status of local news provision in their local areas and the opportunities to regenerate local news for everyone, including the establishment of a Local News Fund, big tech regulation to rebalance the relationship between platform and publisher, and new relationships with the BBC and local government.”
