New details on PA's 'public service reporting' trial

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The Press Association (PA) has confirmed plans for a public service reporting pilot, as announced by editor-in-chief Tony Watson at a House of Commons select committee meeting last week .

The pilot scheme will run in Merseyside with a team of specially recruited journalists covering stories from local councils and other bodies such as the police, fire authorities and primary care trusts, a release from the agency said.

The agency will seek independent funding for the new scheme, which is intended to run for six months in autumn this year and has been set up following PA research into the decline in coverage of local authorities and institutions over the last 10 years.

The pilot will hope to prove the value of a publicly funded, local editorial resource, and will cover local courts if sufficient funding can be found, the PA said.

The success of the trial will be evaluated, the findings of which may be used as a basis for building a fully-funded, permanent, national public service reporting scheme.

The agency will work with Trinity Mirror journalists in the region as part of the initiative, but has said the reportage under the pilot will be editorially independent and offer 'stories of significance to the local community that cover the democratic process and complement existing editorial provision'.

"The service is not seeking to replace the valuable reporting role played by the regional and local media, but to support it by providing additional source material for use by all outlets, nor does the Press Association see itself as a principle supplier of any permanent service that may be established in the future," said the PA in the release.

"Models for providing the function could include offering public funding for newspapers or other news agencies which continue to discharge this democratically vital role, or setting up new units where there is a coverage deficit."

Text stories produced will be free of charge to any registered users and available via an online wire service.

"We applaud the Press Association for taking the lead in exploring new ways of extending the traditional role of local and regional newspapers in holding public bodies to account, which is hugely important in our democracy," said Neil Benson, Trinity Mirror's editorial director, regionals, in the release.

"The proposed trial is still at an early planning stage. Whether it proves to be the answer, only time will tell, but we are pleased to be involved in a project that aims to enhance the current level of coverage."