To what extent – and how - can independent, hyperlocal news address the global ‘crisis’ facing mainstream journalism?

The ‘crisis in mainstream media’ has become the subject of wide debate and discussion in recent years. The outcome of the Brexit referendum in the UK and the election of Donald Trump in the US led many journalists to confess their own ‘failure’ to predict the results of either vote; while the campaigns underpinning both have led to what William Davies described as ‘an age of post-trust politics.’ [1] In particular, both Brexit and the US election revealed ‘a systemic failure to expose the gap between what politicians say and what is actually happening’ (Happer, 2017)[2]. Corporate ownership of the mainstream media in the neoliberal era has led many to question the ability of the media to hold powerful interests to account. Politicians such as Trump in the US and both sides of the Brexit campaign in the UK exploit this growing public distrust , often harnessing the immediacy and rage of social media to create ‘fake news’ while claiming to condemn and expose it. This would be viewed in the context of a longer historical erosion of the cultural esteem of journalism’s dominant code of reporting ethics, in part attributable to the global rise of ubiquitous digital communications.

The crisis in the national mainstream media is echoed on a local level, with increased concern over the last 10 years about the decline in the number of local print newspapers in the UK, and the significant loss of editorial staff in those that remain (Ramsay and Moore, 2016)[3]. This decline has led to increasing discussion of a ‘democratic deficit’ in local news, where ‘the amount of local public interest and investigative journalism is reduced as editorial staffs are cut and the pressures on fewer journalists to produce more stories increases. It can also lower the number of editorial voices to, effectively, one – with serious implications for the plurality of views on which the foundation of healthy democracy rests’ (Ramsay and Moore, 2016). In response, the National Union of Journalists have called for ‘a short, sharp national inquiry into the state of local news’ (NUJ, 2015)[4].

A wide range of online ‘hyperlocal’ news websites have been created in response to this crisis in local news: from those that focus on providing basic community information, to those aiming to contest, disrupt and offer an alternative to the dominant local media industry, ‘fake news’ and to more effectively hold power to account on behalf of, or local communities and marginalised groups. Into this latter category falls the website Star & Crescent – written ‘for and by the people of Portsmouth’[5] – which was created in February 2015 and provides an applied case study to inform the proposed research ([Email Address Removed]).

This project aims to assess by case study an analysis of the extent to which hyperlocal, independent media addresses the ‘crisis’ in mainstream news. Specifically, it will examine:
tensions between the epistemological methods employed by ‘conventional’ journalists and hyperlocal reporters (representing vs reporting on the community)
how an independent hyperlocal media model builds and maintains community trust in relation to journalist ethics
models for sustainable funding
delivery of community impact vs campaigning

It will contribute to a growing body of research work supporting the hyperlocal news sector, nationally and internationally, by developing a body of evidence and by building appropriate national networks to support the creation of a Centre for Community Journalism in Portsmouth. This will build capacity for community journalism in the south of England as the only existing centre is based at the University of Cardiff. It is intended, therefore, that the project will furnish policy evidence for a ‘national inquiry into the state of local news’ as called for by the NUJ.

Candidate specification:
Applicants should have a Master’s degree in relevant discipline and substantial experience in hyperlocal news production.

How to apply:
We welcome applications from highly motivated prospective students who are committed to develop outstanding research outcomes. You can apply online at www.port.ac.uk/applyonline. Please quote project code FMPA4380218 in your application form.

Applications should include:
- a full CV
- two references
- a research proposal of 1,000 words outlining the main features of a research design you would propose to meet the stated objectives, identifying the challenges this project might present and discussing how the work will build on or challenge existing research in the above field.
- proof of English language proficiency (for EU students)

All the above must be submitted by the 11th of February 2018.