The value of public interest news is clear; research and survey after survey demonstrate that the public values it. Quantifying that value in people is more challenging; values differ from individual to individual. However, its value to society in general can and has been measured.
Informed societies function better; they lead to
Improved governance fosters democratic legitimacy, enhances public bodies’ reputations, promotes active citizenship, and increases accountability through better information dissemination and dialogue with citizens.
Greater social cohesion fosters unity among diverse communities, includes disadvantaged groups in discussions, builds relationships within and between social groups, strengthens networks for collaboration, and improves equality in access to decision-making processes.
Improved quality of services, projects, and programmes is achieved by aligning public investment with people’s needs, reducing costs through a sense of ownership, facilitating faster decisions by reducing conflicts and building trust, and encouraging shared responsibility for enhancing the quality of life.
Greater capacity building and learning raise awareness of public institutions, improve citizens’ access to services, build confidence for further civic engagement, support the community sector’s role in empowering disadvantaged groups, and enhance skills for both staff and participants, especially interpersonal skills.
The dangers of an uninformed society manifested itself in the form of riots in England and Northern Ireland during the summer of 2024 following the murders of three young girls in Southport.
False information regarding the identity of the alleged attacker was shared online in the hours following the tragic incident and, on the back of months of negative narratives relating to a specific cohort of immigrants, led to several severe acts of criminal violence taking place.
Understanding, listening to, and giving a voice to these communities cannot simply be achieved online. Countering misinformation and filling the void of people’s knowledge of what can sometimes appear to be complex issues cannot be achieved by sharing videos on Facebook.
So? What are the answers?
Physical spaces where everyone can find, fact-check, and produce civic information.
Success has been achieved in communities across the USA by creating physical spaces where people from those communities become part of the news creation process and often report on the issues that matter and impact them.
Developing trust.
Trust in news providers as a metric has continued to fall in recent times due partly to the influence of anonymous bad actors on social media and digital channels sharing misinformation and promoting the concept of “fake news” by prominent politicians.
The issues that impact our daily lives, such as health, housing, employment, the economy, benefits, education, the environment, and the cost of living, all have multiple factors lying behind the headlines we read.
People are looking for answers, simple ones, which is why matters like immigration are framed as a problem and the reason why we’re waiting for operations or unable to get a place for our children in their favoured schools.
By embedding within communities and working alongside citizens to share their stories and work with them to address their concerns, we can build trust and give them the tools and knowledge to help make sense of their lives and potentially deliver change.
Co-locating services and additional benefits
The hubs would use empty spaces in areas with existing footfall, such as High Streets and Shopping Centres, to reach existing audiences and act as a draw to increase footfall. As well as acting as community news hubs, the spaces will welcome local arts, culture, and heritage organisations, becoming meeting spaces and introducing different communities to each other and a place to share community information. They will also offer coworking opportunities, again enhancing opportunities for cooperation.
The value of such ventures can be measured using a range of metrics. A study based on the implementation of hubs would be a critical part of any plan. It would bring together researchers from various higher education settings, each chosen for their specialities and overseen by a research board.
A new approach to news is needed, and community hubs where people share their stories, which can then be shared more widely in print and online, could greatly benefit society and Wales.
Huw Marshall
Founder Talking Wales
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