University News Last updated 22 June
Birmingham City University's Jaldeep Katwala has been appointed to a new national board that will help determine how up to £12 million is invested in the future of local journalism across the UK.
As a member of the Local News Fund Steering Board, the Director of the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity (LHC) will provide independent expert advice on funding priorities and assessment criteria for one of the most significant interventions in local news in recent years.
The £12 million Local News Fund, announced as part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS) Amplify: The Local Media Action Plan, will support local media organisations to innovate, strengthen their operations and move towards sustainable digital business models.
The Steering Board will play a central role in advising DCMS on funding decisions and establishing the eligibility and assessment criteria before the fund opens for bids this summer.
Katwala (pictured), who joined the LHC in December 2025, said: "I'm delighted to have been asked to join the Steering Board for the Local News Fund.
“Journalists at the local level should hold politicians to account and tell truth to power on behalf of the people in the places they live. Economic, social and technological pressures have meant that local journalists across all media are less able to do that.
"I hope this innovative fund will help strengthen local journalism and I look forward to working with other Steering Board members to help stimulate this desperately needed change."
Mav Cunningham, Dean of the School of Art at Birmingham City University, said: "Strong local journalism is vital to the cultural and civic life of our communities.
“It amplifies diverse voices, strengthens public understanding and helps people stay connected to the issues that affect their lives.
"Jaldeep's appointment reflects his deep understanding of the local news sector at its best and the challenges it faces. It's excellent to see the expertise of the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity helping to shape conversations about the future of local media across the UK."
Katwala brings extensive experience of the local and independent news sector to the role. He previously served as Network Manager at the Public Interest News Foundation, where he worked with more than 120 independent news providers across the UK.
He was also Operations Lead at The Bristol Cable, where he conceived the concept for the Cable App, cited in the Amplify: The Local Media Action Plan as an example of innovation in membership-based local news. On taking up the Steering Board appointment, he has stepped down as a voluntary non-executive director of The Bristol Cable.
Across a career spanning four decades, Katwala has worked in BBC local radio, commercial news, international media development and community media, building extensive experience of the challenges and opportunities facing journalism at a local and community level.
The Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity was founded in 2020 to increase diversity and inclusion across the UK media industry through research, advocacy and partnerships.
The Centre works with industry, policymakers and communities to promote meaningful change across media organisations and ensure the UK's media better reflects the audiences it serves.