MP's Voice: Why Local Journalism Is Worth Fighting For

In his first column for The Staffordshire Signal, Stoke-on-Trent Central MP Gareth Snell reflects on the collapse of local journalism, the rise of unregulated online "news" and why independent titles like this one matter more than ever for holding democracy together.

This is my first column for the Staffordshire Signal and I have spent a long time trying to think about what I write about. Could I write a polemic piece that outlines the important issues of state which are often overlooked.  Should it be a love letter to Stoke-on-Trent, the City that is my adopted home and where I am so proud to represent?  Maybe grasp a thorny and controversial issue of the day and write something thought provoking or even controversial? 

But often, as a politician with opinions to share and questions to raise, the issue is less about what I am going to write and more about where it might be published. This is because independent journalism has had a tough time over the last two decades which is why sitting here writing for a new in-print publication is a genuine honour and thrill. 

Just over 15 years ago, daily national newspaper circulation stood at around 21 million, but today that has decreased by 66% to just 7.4 million. Local newspapers have faired much worse. 

265 different titles have closed between 2005 and 2020 leaving the UK with fewer local newspapers than anytime since the 18^th century, and those that are left have fewer journalists and smaller budgets. It means local news – including coverage of local politics and decisions made at council level – often gets missed, weakening scrutiny by the media that is a cornerstone of our democratic system. 

Most titles have now moved online and derive their revenue from ads and clicks – meaning salacious headlines take over. And then you enter the gloom spiral of bad news, rage-bait and negative commentary because that drives engagement and increases income. 

Worse still, more and more adults are no longer trusting of traditional news sources and one in three adults now exclusively get their news and views from TikTok, X and Facebook Groups. Unlike traditional print media, these sources are completely unregulated with no editorial teams, no ethics checks and no need to substantiate facts. 

And in some cases, the deception goes much deeper with deliberate fake news and hyper-realistic AI generated content designed to deceive. Indeed, when the Iranian regime turned off the internet as part of their crack down on freedoms in Iran, thousands of X accounts masquerading as UK citizens and sharing divisive content about Scottish Independence, trans-rights, antisemitism and anti-muslim hatred and promoting conspiracy theories of the far-right all fell silent. 

But when 70% of the UK adult population is unsure about what is and what isn’t fake news and the decline of traditional print media, these X accounts and their seemingly reasonable content can start to corrupt minds and ferment dissent among people who actually have much more in common than they realise. 

So as I write this, I am cheered by the idea that a publication like the Staffordshire Signal is bucking that trend. A local news outlet providing positive content based on real voices in communities.  Covering the stories that we will all care about but in an honest and unbiassed way. Clear with the facts but devoid of the rhetoric which often clouds the real issue at heart. 

For our communities to thrive and for our democracy to be strengthened, these sorts of news outlets are crucial. They build the bonds which make neighbourhoods resilient and they expose the doom-mongers and the  pot-stirrers who have little value to add. 

So while this is my first piece for the Staffordshire Signal, I hope it is one of many pieces over the months and years ahead because we all need that positive good news from sources we can always trust.