A partner with Bath-headquartered law firm Stone King has helped an online newspaper become the UK’s first charitable ‘public interest’ news provider.
In a move that could ensure the future of local journalism, Stone King partner Tom Murdoch has helped The Guildford Dragon achieve charitable status.
The process involved several months of dealings with the Charity Commission and was supported by the Charitable Journalism Project (CJP), which believes it can be a viable route to sustaining public interest journalism.
Tom Murdoch, pictured, said the development should act as a signpost for other, similar public-interest news organisations.
“The aim of public interest journalism is to provide us, as citizens and members of our local communities, with the reliable, accurate and unbiased information that we need,” he added.
“CJP has played a central role in promoting charitable journalism. It’s not for all – some provide news for profit and other purposes – but charitable status is now a practical possibility for suitable public interest news providers across the spectrum.”
The Guildford Dragon editor Martin Giles said he hoped other publications would be able to follow suit.
“It wasn’t a simple task. Now the fundraising work will need to begin to make the The Guildford Dragon sustainable so we can continue to serve our borough with a local news service,” he said.
Lexie Kirkconnell-Kawana, chief executive of Impress – the Independent Monitor for the Press – said she was thrilled the commission had recognised the public benefit of journalism to communities with this decision.
“For the public to regain trust, journalism, accountability to high regulatory standards, is essential,” she added.
“We look forward to the Dragon continuing to produce high-quality ethical journalism as it embarks on this new journey as a charitable organisation.”
Public Interest News Foundation (PINF), which supports grassroot journalism through grants, advice and networking, also welcomed the decision.
Executive director Jonathan Heawood said: “It's great to have confirmation that local journalism can be charitable.
“At PINF, we believe that many other local news outlets could become charities, which would open up new revenue streams from foundations and individual donors.
“At a time when millions of people in the UK live in news deserts, without access to relevant and reliable information, the need for high-quality local news is greater than ever.
“Charitable journalism might not be the solution to all the challenges facing local news, but it is a crucial part of the mix, and we congratulate the The Guildford Dragon, the Charitable Journalism Project and their legal team for making this possible.”
Stone King employs more than 230 people across its offices in Bath, Bristol, Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds and London.
