PINF’s nifty news network looks back on some standout moments from an eventful 2024!
What will be your defining moment of 2024? For me, it’ll always be the year I started working at PINF. A huge highlight for me was getting to meet so many of the incredible news providers in PINF’s network at the Indie News Forum this year, all in my first week on the job!
Our Network Manager Jaldeep now shepherds a flock of over 100 independent, public interest news providers, fostering a vibrant community chock-full of support and encouragement, celebration and sometimes commiseration, too.
The network is the backbone of everything we have achieved in the first five years of PINF. We’re blessed with a group of fantastic individuals who deeply care about public interest news provision in the UK.
As well as providing excellent assistance to each other, we know we can always count on their generosity of spirit, from helping with evidence to consultations and running SkillShare sessions for the community to filling out surveys and attending workshops.
Speaking of which... this week, we’re passing the mic to half a dozen publications from across the country to share their most memorable moments of 2024.
Unsurprisingly, many pointed to the snap summer election!
Rhys Everquill, Leicester Gazette
Dropping everything to cover the general election, for sure... It was the busiest time of the year for us, and saw us reach 20,000 people across all formats. Leicester East was the only Tory gain in the country, and Leicester South saw an independent overturn Jon Ashworth's 22,000 majority. And we thought it was going to be a quiet night!
Rebecca Maer, Eastbourne Reporter
I was asked to moderate the election hustings event hosted by the Chamber of Commerce, who wanted an impartial moderator. The Chamber is a big fan of Eastbourne Reporter!
Darren Toogood, Island Echo
On the election front… hosting a hustings event (jointly with another independent) was a big achievement for us, as it was our first physical event.
Bucking current trends in the sector, some are celebrating record growth:
Eliz Mizon, Bristol Cable
Succeeding at our membership campaign!
The Bristol Cable raised its membership income by 50% from September 2023 – September 2024 in an ambitious fundraising drive. Hear more from Eliz on Instagram!
Darren Toogood, Island Echo
Hitting the £200k turnover mark is huge for us, as was a move to new offices, the launch of the new website and taking on a commercial manager. It’s hard to pinpoint one thing, as together all the little wins make for a great year
Indie News Week 2024 also got a lot of love!
Rebecca Maer, Eastbourne Reporter
After our indie news coffee morning, three key people who came have joined me in a core team with the right skills to take things forward: business development/marketing, community writer training and IT. This event was the key to actually bringing these people together to chew stuff over. I would not have organised anything without prompting from Jaldeep.
David Lush, Eastbourne Reporter
My stand-out moment was the Eastbourne Reporter's Indie News Week, when I really began to re-engage with local journalism in my hometown after 40 years away. The gathering took place a stone's throw from where I'd done my first ever interview as an aspiring journalist in 1984. I began to appreciate the essential role The Reporter and other indie news outlets around the country played in rekindling and re-inventing local journalism in places like Eastbourne.
While for others, embracing community and campaigning were the highlights of the year.
Ross Hawkes, Lichfield Live
We started the paper this year after 16 years online. It came with some lovely little unexpected things that hadn't crossed my mind when embarking on it - like the old lady who stopped us while we were filling a collection bin to thank us, saying that she rarely went out of the house or saw anyone until the paper began and that it has got her active walking to get one and reconnecting with people who all go to pick up a copy at the same time. Proper proof that news brings the community together!
Phil Creighton, Freelance Journalist
At the start of the year, didn't expect to be resigning and starting something new, while continuing to champion and cheerlead for independent local news. I also didn't expect to be ending the year by making copious use of an English to Scots translator...
Sarah Hartley, The Northern Eco
My standout moment was the visit by Feargal Sharkey to support the river campaigners we’ve been writing about for more than a year at The Northern Eco. The event was organised by Save Our Swale campaigners and it turned out that Feargal had fished this local river (the Swale, North Yorkshire) and spoke very passionately about it. Second was Count Binface standing against Rishi at the election...
A massive thanks to our contributors this week and for everything that public interest news providers do to keep the good people of the United Kingdom in news.
And a few shout-outs from PINF for publishers who were too shy to toot their own horn this week:
Wendy Robertson of The Bridge was nominated for a British Journalism Award 2024 for her coverage of Berwick Town Council
Una Murphy and Brian Pelan have been doing excellent work and receiving great, positive feedback for their community journalism approach at View Digital in Belfast.
As has Lee Morgan at the People’s Republic of South Devon, such as this story on avoiding food waste.
Looking forward to 2025 (with slightly blurry, mince-pie shaped eyes) PINF’s Local News Commission will be finalising its recommendations early next year, giving PINF an exciting new set of campaign goals to work towards for the future.
We’ll be closely following the development of the UK Government’s local media strategy, poised to contribute as soon as we are able. And, of course, continuing our efforts to get fair settlements for indie news providers from big tech companies. Among many other things! All of which we’ll keep you updated on right here on the blog.
We’ll see you, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, in January 2025!