About this Event
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?
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 [email protected]
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
International Anthony Burgess Foundation, 3 Cambridge Street, Manchester, United Kingdom
GBP 7.21 to GBP 16.96
