Jonathan Heawood of PINF, on the state of play in UK independent local news

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Last year, the UK charity Public Interest News Foundation (PINF) released data that revealed that on average, independent local news outlets earn annual revenue of just £42k. Meanwhile, the big regional news organisations have revenues in the millions.

This is despite the fact that stories published by community organisations are some of the most hard-hitting. But the digital economy favours the big players.

Look at Australia's News Bargaining Code, introduced to level the playing field between tech and publishers, and allow news organisations to negotiate more revenue for clicks to their site. But only those who earn more than $150,000 (Australian Dollars) - around £80,000 - are eligible. That is precisely the bracket that few independent publishers fall in. Such a model in the UK would exclude most independent news outlets.

In this week's podcast, Jonathan Heawood, executive director of PINF discusses what is next for the UK independent news sector. We revisit the legacy of the 2019 Cairncross Review into a sustainable future for journalism and how one of its key rejected recommendations could find its way into Scottish legislation instead. There are also concerns around increasing consolidations within local journalism and the threat that poses to community titles. But could there be a way to support community buyouts instead of seeing small titles falling into the hands of already powerful news groups?

PINF is also surveying for its next index into the UK independent news sector. Fill it in when you get a chance.

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