The House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee's report on the ‘The Future of News’ is hugely important for anyone engaged in journalism and digital media.
Challenges facing news are legion - the rise of ‘news deserts’, declining public trust, the disruptive role of AI both positive and negative, proliferation of SLAPP cases, and so on and so on - but there’s considerable space for innovation and growth at a regional level.
The report, led by ennobled Fleet Street glitterati, with a cast of thousands on the witness list makes this a work of real depth with great nuggets of insight. Like this from The Spectator’s Fraser Nelson. “AI has almost zero impact right now,” he said. “We tried it at the Spectator and we hoped it would be useful, but it is completely not. It is a long way away from being able to do anything that human journalists can do, so is not a factor right now.”
Time will tell if Fraser and King Canut both enjoy the same beachfront seating arrangements.
I’m only scratching the surface of it here but evidence from organisations like the Public Interest News Foundation (PINF) and NewsNow merits careful study. (Though the contribution from Google - as the world’s news distributor - was dire. Effectively submitting a marketing slidedeck passed through the digestive system of a Large Language Model.)
The report is a critical contribution to understanding the future of news and provides important insights into how - with the right support - community-driven, hyperlocal journalism can thrive, leveraging new technologies to make news more accessible, efficient, and trustworthy.
So where are the opportunities commercially?
Despite fundamental disruption to the news media’s business model, news is profitable - for the few where influence is concentrated. High-quality news that is properly sourced, fact checked, and regularly updated generates significant profits, to the tune of £1 billion a year for dominant tech platforms.
A lack of plurality creates a homogeneity of perspective and leaves many communities underserved or entirely bereft of local reporting. But where there is scarcity and consumers with unmet needs, opportunity exists.
Novel interdisciplinary approaches that integrate journalists, technologists, and creatives can carve out new audiences at a local level.
An AI project in Newry offers a glimpse of how technology could revitalise local news. The Local News Fund will harness AI to automate access to government documents, reducing resources needed for investigative reporting and enabling journalists to focus on impactful storytelling. In England, community-driven initiatives like The Bristol Cable too demonstrates that grassroots journalism can thrive with the right support.
Companies can distinguish themselves as champions of transparency and accountability. By funding investigative reporting, promoting fact-checking initiatives, or even underwriting programmes that bolster media literacy, businesses can directly contribute to restoring public confidence and also demonstrating a commitment to social responsibility (which plays well in the ‘social value’ section of tender bids).
What else at a national level? The Lords recommends tax breaks for hiring local journalists, training schemes and an expanded Local Democracy Reporting Service would all help local newsroom finances without creating undue distortions.
What more for Northern Ireland? Witnesses suggested the devolved government should contribute to ‘local news funds’ to be independently managed. Stormont could also legislate to give community groups the scope to take over local news publications that are otherwise at risk of closure or are failing to provide an adequate level of local public interest news (I’m thinking of the dozens of weeklies we’ve lost here over the past 25 years since I left journalism school).
Generative AI, while promising, must be wielded carefully to avoid exacerbating the flood of low-quality content. Instead, tools like the Washington Post’s archive experiment offers a blueprint for how AI can enhance credibility, user engagement and drive access to authoritative content. Technologies of this type should be able to help local news outlets monetise the treasure trove of information held in a weeklies’ back catalogue.
The Lords report is both diagnosis of the news industry's ailments and a detailed care pathway. While it lays bare the risks of concentrated ownership, declining trust, and AI-driven disruption, it also highlights the untapped potential for regional innovation and community-driven journalism.
With over 4.1 million people in "news deserts" and millions more in under-served areas, there is a clear need for community-driven journalism. The road ahead for news is not without obstacles, but where community-driven, hyperlocal journalism can exploit the new tech and tools now available to it, the future can be one where news continues to inform, engage, and empower.
