North Wales newsrooms get £90,526 to test AI leads and expand community coverage
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Wrexham Dotcom will develop an AI newsgathering tool, while Bayside Radio plans to strengthen community reporting and digital publishing with funding from the Government’s Local News Fund.
Two north Wales media organisations are to receive a combined £90,526 from the Government’s Local News Fund for projects aimed at developing local journalism. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport says the awards form part of a £6 million programme supporting innovation, audience reach and more sustainable local news provision.
Wrexham Dotcom Limited has been allocated £34,436 to create an artificial-intelligence tool that scans publicly available material and alerts journalists to developments that might warrant investigation. The Government’s grant announcement describes the system as a newsgathering aid; editorial decisions about which leads to pursue and what to publish will remain with the newsroom.
Coast Community Radio and Media CIC, which operates Bayside Radio in Colwyn Bay, will receive £56,090. According to the Government, the station intends to build on its local news and community-information work through partnerships, audience research and improved digital publishing. The project is designed to bring more community perspectives into coverage across Conwy County and the north Wales coast, using both radio and digital channels.
The awards are part of Amplify: The Local Media Action Plan, a wider Government strategy responding to changes in audience habits and pressure on local media businesses. The plan sets out support for digital tools and infrastructure, as well as measures intended to strengthen engagement with audiences and the financial resilience of providers. Its aims describe the policy direction, rather than guaranteeing the success of individual projects.
The case for adapting local news to changing habits is reflected in Ofcom’s research. Its 2023 survey found that 92 per cent of UK adults used local news or information, while 89 per cent of those users accessed it online. Ofcom also notes that people use different platforms according to the area and subject they are interested in, and that local media has a civic role alongside the commercial and staffing pressures facing providers.
The two grants back distinct approaches: one seeks to help journalists identify potential leads, while the other focuses on community relationships and digital distribution. RadioToday’s coverage of the wider fund shows that local and community radio projects are among those receiving support for expanded reporting and online development. The awards set out plans, however; they do not yet show whether either initiative will attract larger audiences or improve the organisations’ long-term financial position.
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Source: Noah Wire Services · Original