Find out how a co-operative approach to media ownership works

With half of the UK’s local and regional papers running the risk of disappearing by 2014, Co-operatives UK has teamed up with Carnegie UK to launch a series of events aimed at promoting a co-operative approach to media ownership.

The “Make your local news work” campaign  is inviting communities to take control of their local media through co-operative ownership. Through a number of events across the UK, journalists, local communities and media professionals will be given the chance to explore a co-operative solution to local media crisis. The workshops will take place throughout June in Leicester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Crewe, Belfast and Cardiff.

Referring to the new initiative, Ed Mayo, Secretary General of Co-operatives UK, said: “We have seen communities rally around to save their shops, pubs and libraries using the co-operative business model. If we want local media, perhaps it is time to learn from their success and turn the writers and readers into owners.

“This new series of events, the first of its kind, will provide practical support to people wanting to forge a new future for local media.”

The workshops also include reference to some successful co-operative newspapers, such as New Internationalist and West Highland Free Press.

Martyn Evans, Chief Executive of Carnegie UK Trust said that although local news played an important role in their communities, the readership decline was a key challenge for many regional publications in the UK.

“We desperately need a new model that will allow local news providers to capture the attention of local people and build more sustainable businesses,” he said.

Both Co-operatives UK and Carnegie UK Trust have previously developed similar projects aimed as looking for a solution to the crisis local media face.

Carnegie UK Trust is stimulating innovation through Neighbouring News, a £50,000 competition open to local commercial media and civil society organisations across the UK and Ireland. By becoming a Carnegie Partner, the winners receive funding to develop innovative ways of producing local news.

In 2012 Co-operatives UK published the report “Good news: A co-operative solution to the media crisis” in which writer David Boyle argued that co-operative ownership could be key to saving local publications.

• For the full list of events, visit: www.uk.coop/makethenews.