Responding to the DCMS Committee’s new report on the Sustainability of Local Journalism, NMA chief executive Owen Meredith said: “We strongly welcome the Committee’s recommendation for government to lay out “clear and explicit provisions” for smaller local publishers to be remunerated fairly under the pro-competition regime in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill.

“This legislation will be imperative to the sustainability of local journalism in this country, helping to support competition in our digital economy and levelling the playing field between news publishers and tech platforms.

“We were pleased to see support for retaining statutory notices in print local newspapers, which remains a vital source of revenue for local publishers and is a cornerstone of local democracy, enhancing open government and debate in our communities.

“We also share the Committee’s concerns over the BBC’s plans to expand their online local news services, which as the report notes, would only threaten commercial local news publishers who are already facing challenges to building a sustainable business model for digital news. We strongly echo the report’s recommendation that the BBC reconsiders their plans.” To read the NMA’s press release in full, click here.