Holding Local Power to Account in the Digital Age: The Impact of the BBC Local Democracy Reporter Scheme

The resources for local journalism have considerably reduced over recent years, meaning citizens are offered limited information about local affairs. The BBC Local Democracy Reporter Scheme, launched in 2017, was designed to address a democratic deficit by funding journalists that would work on hyperlocal media sites.

The proposed project will examine several news organisations awarded funding. It will carry out interviews with key stakeholders and develop a content analysis of local news sites to assess how effectively the BBC's resources have strengthened the quality of journalism. It will contribute to international debates about the democratic consequences of subsidising journalism.