by Democrat reporter
The Scottish Government is being urged to introduce a range of measures, including a dedicated fund, to support local journalism and in doing so protect local democracy and strengthen communities.
Adam Harley, the Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, has signed an open letter from The Scottish Beacon, which has attracted significant cross-party support.
The Scottish Beacon launched its campaign after Scottish publishers were excluded from the UK Government’s new Local News Fund, worth up to £12 million in total.
This fund aimed to support local news outlets which in recent years have struggled financially, with some areas left without local outlets altogether.
The Dumbarton Democrat is a locally owned news platform at democratonline.net and is totally funded and run by Bill Heaney, who has won the Scottish Weekly Newspaper Journalist of the Year Award no less than three times. He is a Life Member of the National Union of Journalists and is a former special adviser to Scotland First Minister Henry McLeish.
It is politically independent, has been running daily for more than five years, and has a current readership averaging 22.4K, as confirmed by Microsoft.
Approaches to have the ban lifted, made through Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie, have been refused by its head of communications, Amanda Graham, pictured right.
The Scottish Beacon’s open letter calls for a dedicated Scottish Local News Fund, as well as greater investment of public advertising in independent local news and funded journalism placements accessible to independent publishers.
Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur has lodged a written parliamentary question asking what consideration the Scottish Government has given to establishing a local news fund to provide financial support to local news outlets.
Adam Harley MSP said: “Local journalism plays an incredibly important role in our communities as a source of reliable information and local scrutiny. From council decisions in East Dunbartonshire to the issues raised on doorsteps in Bishopbriggs, Kirkintilloch, and Bearsden, it is local reporters who hold decision-makers to account and tell residents what is really going on.
“With the amount of misinformation increasing rapidly on social media, the value of trustworthy local news sources across Strathkelvin and Bearsden is only going to increase further.
“The Scottish Government needs to step up and support local journalism as well. We cannot allow a situation where local news outlets in England and Wales can access financial support, but Scottish outlets cannot.
“That’s why I have signed The Scottish Beacon’s open letter and fully back its call for a Scottish Local News Fund. If we don’t act to support these outlets now, we will only mourn the loss of them later.”
Top of page: Bill Heaney, editor/proprietor of The Dumbarton Democrat news platform.