Government grants are to be made available to small publishers in Wales in a major boost to the country’s hyperlocal news sector.

The Welsh government is setting aside a pot of £200,000 in a bid to help journalists set up their own hyperlocal news services, whether in print or online.

Yesterday’s announcement follows the publication of the independent Hyper-local Journalism in Wales Report, co-written by the Cardiff University-based Centre for Community Journalism (C4CJ).

The inquiry looked into the state of local journalism in Wales and recommended that formal support of independent community and public interest journalism in Wales should be a strategic priority for the Welsh government.

Welsh economy minister Ken Skates said: “We live in a world of unprecedented exposure to news and information, with hyper-local media expected to evolve and stay current, often with very little financial or human resource.

“These are small businesses, generally employing fewer than four people, but that provide a vital local service to communities the length and breadth of Wales.

“This new funding will build on our commitment to supporting journalists seeking to set up their own business in hyper-local news and will, I hope, through the further development of skills and networks help to sustain and grow the sector, allowing existing hyper-local journalists to broaden their scope and reach within their communities.

“These are important services which deserve our recognition and support and I’m delighted, today, to be able to do just that.”

The funding will be made available to eligible Welsh-based print and online publications who are members of the Independent Community News Network (ICNN), run by C4CJ, of which there are currently 12 in Wales.

Director of the ICNN Emma Meese, pictured, praised the government on its commitment to hyperlocal news.

She said: “This is a major step forward in recognising the invaluable work of community journalists across Wales. Investing in this sector could have a great impact on local journalism, local enterprise and social cohesion.

“We are delighted to be working with Welsh Government to ensure the Independent Community Journalism Fund rewards innovation in the sector and is accessible to those which are most deserving in order to help the sustainability, development and growth of their publication.

“We are also immensely proud of the impact our work has made, and that ICNN membership has been recognised as a trust mark of quality journalism.”

The grant funding is available from 1 April 2019 for one year.