Local journalism used to be a thriving and highly profitable industry – so much so that the Manchester Evening News used to subsidise the losses on its stablemate, the Manchester Guardian. But the 21st century has been devastating for local newspapers in the UK as their main revenue model has disappeared and thousands of journalists have been laid off. Poorer and smaller communities have become ‘news deserts’ – places where no meaningful journalism is being done. And large city newspapers have shed dozens of their reporters and editors, reduced to a shell of their former selves. As a result, many people are much less knowledgeable about what is happening in their communities, and sources of local power – including the police, the council and local companies – are not held to account. There is also a strong argument that people reading much more national – as opposed to local – media has contributed to the polarisation we see in British politics. Can local journalism in the UK be rebuilt?

A Manchester Literary & Philosophical Society talk.

About Joshi Herrmann

A journalist whose bylines include The Times, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph – decided to take on the challenge of leading a renaissance in the sector in 2020. He started a single newsletter – The Mill – covering Greater Manchester, with no office and no team. Instead of relying on advertising revenue, he asked his readers to pay a subscription to become a ‘member’ – supporting the publication and getting extra members-only stories. Now, five years later, his company Mill Media publishes high quality local journalism in six cities, including London, Glasgow, Birmingham, Sheffield and Liverpool. It has won awards for its reporting, and its financial backers include Sir Mark Thompson, the former director general of the BBC and now the CEO of CNN. Its investigations led to the resignation of Andy Burnham’s advisor Sacha Lord over a Covid-relief payment and have prompted a major fraud investigation by Greater Manchester Police concerning the University of Greater Manchester, formerly Bolton University. In this talk, Joshi will talk about the state of local journalism, why it matters so much, and how it can be revived.

Practical Information

The talk includes a Q&A session and light refreshments can be purchased from the venue’s bar.

Booking is essential. Lit & Phil members: we recommend logging into the website to make booking your free member ticket quicker and easier.

Accessibility Information

The venue is wheelchair accessible with an accessible toilet on the ground floor. Please contact us regarding any specific accessibility requirements you may have by emailing events@manlitphil.ac.uk