Charitable status plea to Government on not-for-profit local newspapers
The Government is being approached by journalists and academics in England and Wales to make it easier for charitable trusts and foundations to fund not-for-profit local newspapers.
According to media website, HoldTheFrontPage, representatives from trusts and foundations, charities and newspapers will meet officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport next month to discuss changes they seek under the Communications Bill.
The aim will be to help local newspapers attract funding from trusts and foundations, despite the Charity Commission not recognising news reporting as charitable activity.
The meeting, reports HTFP, organised by the academic bodies Polis and the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, has been arranged to coincide with the publication of a new RISJ report - Is There a Better Structure for News Providers?
The Potential in Charitable and Trust Ownership - which proposes new models for the charitable ownership of local news publishers.
Speaking to Third Sector magazine, Robert Picard, director of research at the RISJ and co-editor of the new report, said: “A number of foundations have indicated they would invest in local newspapers and news websites, particularly in those areas of the UK where there is little or no local news coverage at present.”
“At the moment the Charity Commission doesn’t recognise the provision of news as an educational activity that would merit charitable status, and of course there are issues around whether a charitable newspaper could take a political stance,” he said.
He added, however, that in some cases it would be necessary for the newspapers themselves to be registered charities, in order to attract investment from charitable funders.
A green paper on the bill is due to be produced later this year.