Local media used to be a vital community resource. People found their next job or car in the local paper whilst at the same time being connected and informed about their local area. As the internet has increasingly provided people with the practical information that local media used to provide and absorbed the associated advertising revenues, news organisations are struggling and unable to invest in public interest news and information that is vital for successful, engaged and well-informed communities. In the UK, around 25% of internet users now say they access no online news at all each week (Newman). This drop in news engagement coincides with reduced social capital. An ONS 2020 study shows a decline in the proportion of people who engage in activities which bring us together, including meeting regularly with friends (9% decline since 2010), stop and talk to neighbours (6% decline) and who report being members of a range of specific associations (9% decline). Organisations are no longer able to engage huge swathes of society while at the same time increasingly realising how important it is to do so. While online traffic and advertising and affiliate revenues continue to grow, social media giants are benefiting from most of this success. But in the face of a 'post truth' world the demand for trustworthy content is as high as it has ever been, while trust in online and social media content has seemingly reached a nadir. We have developed a model that brings local media back to the centre of communities, amplifying voices and making connections to decision makers, support and civic discourse. Bristol24/7 is the largest independent media organisation in the SW with a huge local reach. We are also a social enterprise with an engaged and socially responsible business community. Through our novel Community Reporters initiative, where we recruit, train and employ untrained content creators to report on their hyper-local communities, we have built trust and engagement in previously disconnected communities but we are not yet generating enough revenue to fund this work. Our extensive research shows that by building a new model of local media driven by tech, adoptive of advanced segmentation, referral, targeting and automation tools that rewards our members, and turns the most engaged members into ambassadors we can rapidly grow membership revenue. It will allow us to invest in social impact, community journalism and quality, trustworthy content.

Since 2020 we have leveraged human centred research to analyse the needs of Bristol communities and businesses. In response, we developed a prototype membership platform, which now has 920 paying public members. Testing targeting segmented groups by area and interests led to 120% increase in membership acquisition. We now need to integrate advanced content creation and automation tools in an industry first to ensure capacity for sustainable growth. Our membership model allows our readers to support our journalism and community projects and be rewarded with perks. Through our Community Reporter (CR) initiative we recruit, train and employ untrained writers from Bristol's most deprived wards, bringing new voices into media alongside our experienced editorial team, building engagement in areas that are increasingly mistrustful of local media. The CR produce hyperlocal content which is published through the platform. This initiative is the biggest driver of new members but needs better technology underpinning it to unlock its potential. This project allows us to develop content creation & automation tools, allowing us to create 'micro-qualifications' to upskill staff, CR and our members, automate & target content, develop a powerful referral system, and collect and present granular data on member behaviour, demographics and social impact.