Independent journalism institute backed by Government

The creation of an independent journalism body for public interest news has been backed by Culture Secretary Angus Robertson.

It is thought establishing a Scottish Public Interest Journalism Institute will help make the sector sustainable amid the challenges facing news organisations due to the pandemic.

The suggestion comes as a key recommendation of the Public Interest Journalist Working Group, set up by the Scottish Government in 2021.

Its report, Scotland’s News: Towards A Sustainable Future For Public Interest Journalism, suggests the independent body would support the resilience of the sector through research, grant-making, training and promoting media literacy in education.

A further aim is to promote an environment where the publications, and journalists, can thrive, giving the public access to a wide range of high-quality news sources.

Work to establish the independent body will begin in the autumn, and Mr Robertson has proposed the Scottish Government supports a roundtable to consider how a steering group of industry experts could deliver the institute.

He said: “I warmly welcome the working group’s well-researched report and their thoughtful and innovative solutions to the extremely pertinent challenges facing the sector in light of a changing media landscape.

“It is a free, independent and plural media which upholds a democratic society and this report is an excellent step in that ongoing journey.

“We want to do all we can to support the sustainability and diversity of public interest journalism in Scotland and we will be working closely with industry stakeholders to see how an institute could help ensure the sector remains resilient.

“I am confident that the working group’s report and our response will ignite a series of actions across industry to firmly secure a sustainable future for our public interest journalism sector.”