Plans for Wrexham and the north Wales coast
Wrexham Dotcom Limited's £34,436 award will fund an artificial intelligence tool that searches publicly available information for potential news stories. According to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's grant list, the system will support journalists' newsgathering. Editors will retain responsibility for deciding which leads to investigate and what to publish.
The larger of the two awards, £56,090, goes to Coast Community Radio and Media CIC, the organization behind Bayside Radio in Colwyn Bay. The station plans to combine audience research, new partnerships and improvements to digital publishing to expand its news and community information service.
Bayside says it will work with groups throughout Conwy County and along the north Wales coast to include more community voices in its journalism. That coverage will be distributed through both its radio and digital channels.
The South Wales Argus identifies Coast Community Radio and Wrexham.com among six Welsh news organizations awarded grants of up to £125,000 each.
Other awards for AI tools and standards
The funding round also supports AI projects serving the wider local news sector. Data Language UK Ltd received the largest single award, £268,695, to expand an existing tool already used by some US-based hyperlocal outlets. It maps communities and examines council papers and other emerging information to suggest stories for journalists to pursue.
A separate £191,880 grant went to the National Council for the Training of Journalists for its "Responsible AI for Trusted Local Journalism" program. The initiative will establish UK-wide, industry-led standards, guidance and practical resources for using AI in local journalism.
A national fund for local journalism
The north Wales grants are part of the first round of the £6 million Local News Fund, announced by Media Minister Ian Murray on November 5, 2026, during Journalism Matters Week. Fifty local news providers, including the two north Wales recipients, received awards of up to £125,000 each. Seven additional infrastructure grants of up to £275,000 went to organizations developing tools for use across the sector.
An independent panel of industry experts, the Local News Fund Steering Board, assessed bids through a competitive process. To qualify, applicants needed an established record of providing local journalism for at least the preceding 12 months and had to show that their content was editorially accountable.
The fund forms part of Amplify: The Local Media Action Plan. The government says it aims to support innovation, reach new audiences and strengthen local journalism's long-term sustainability. The broader plan also seeks to help outlets serve digital audiences, develop online-focused business models and deepen their relationships with communities.
Ofcom's review of local media illustrates both the demand for these services and the pressures on providers. In its 2023 survey, 92% of UK adults used local news or information; among those users, 89% accessed it online. The review highlights local reporting's role in scrutinizing public institutions, alongside providers' concerns about staffing, revenue and keeping their services running.
The grants fund two distinct approaches in north Wales, but the awards alone do not demonstrate whether either will attract larger audiences or improve financial resilience.
For 2027, the department says £1 million from the fund will target local "news deserts": places without a dedicated local print, online, TV or radio outlet. Up to another £5 million will be available that year to support financial sustainability and innovation in the sector.
