A £125,000 government grant will support Newsquest Media Group’s launch of a local journalism initiative in London.
Newsquest Media Group is one of 11 news organisations in the capital selected for support under the £6 million Local News Fund, which aims to strengthen the long-term viability and expansion of local reporting.
The grant will fund a pilot project called the London Local News Lab, focusing on areas where local news provision is limited.
Journalists participating in the project will use a mobile application to record video interviews, collect audio and still images, and take notes while covering stories in the communities concerned.
Artificial intelligence-based technology will assist with transcription, article drafting, video summaries and the preparation of material for social media.
Journalists and editors will check all output before publication.
The initiative is intended to reduce repetitive production work and create more opportunities for reporters to spend time gathering news directly from communities.
Another component of the Newsquest project will establish a hyperlocal service for Hammersmith and Fulham.
The service will focus on journalism shaped by local participation, present information in several formats and involve local schools.
Findings from the trial will be presented at an open seminar for the wider local news sector.
The awards form part of the Government’s Local Media Action Plan.
The plan aims to assist local publishers in responding to changes in audience behaviour while developing more durable income streams.
Media Minister Ian Murray said local media had long been among the country’s most trusted news sources.
He added that pressure caused by a more complicated media environment had led some outlets to reduce staffing or close.
Government support through the fund is intended to encourage newsroom innovation, modern business models and dependable reporting for communities across Britain.
Ten additional London organisations have also secured funding.
Citizen News and Media Limited, publisher of the Hackney Citizen, has received £89,667.
Its plans include an investigations system using artificial intelligence, data-reporting capabilities and mechanisms for generating income from readers.
The Millers Publishing Company Limited will use a £125,000 award to introduce audience data and engagement systems across seven local publications, including The Londoner.
Modern Standard Media Ltd, publisher of Putney News, Battersea News and Tooting News, has received £108,685.
Planned work includes detailed local reporting on development proposals, permissions, roadworks and official notices.
The company also plans to introduce a printed edition and a paid membership option.
Harrow Online Ltd has received £125,000 towards improvements to its email publications and subscription systems.
The Havering Daily Ltd will use £57,000 to build tools intended to expand its audience and revenue.
Social Spider CIC has received £29,559 to develop income from supporters of titles including the Waltham Forest Echo, Enfield Dispatch and Barnet Post.
Organisations seeking an allocation had to demonstrate that they had delivered local journalism in England or Wales for at least 12 months.
Assessors considered the standard of the proposed work, its deliverability and its probable effects in both the immediate and longer term.