麻豆社

This month (August 2025) the 麻豆社’s Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has quietly passed a remarkable milestone reaching 500,000 stories鈥痯ublished by LDRS reporters for use by more than 1,100 commercial news sector titles.

That’s more than half a million pieces of independent journalism focused on the decisions that shape our communities everyday – from council tax hikes and housing plans to bin collections and public transport routes.

Those are numbers worth taking a minute to think about. Not just for their scale, but for what they represent for local and regional journalism… and the local decision makers they’re holding to account.

Eight years in the making

Launching in January 2018, the LDRS was – and still is – a bold and ambitious project with a simple yet vital mission - reporting on local authorities and government, ensuring the public got impartial, reliable coverage of decisions made in their towns, cities and regions. Essentially making local government accessible and transparent.

Almost eight years on, the scheme has become an important part of the UK’s media landscape. Despite the challenges of news avoidance, shrinking newsrooms, and declining trust in institutions, the LDRS continues to deliver.

Local stories, real impact

In 2024 alone, LDRS reporters published more than 60,000 public interest news stories. Every one of those stories tells us something about the places we live. Some expose injustice – like the LDRS reporter who uncovered a council’s failure to act on dangerous housing conditions. Others shine a light on complex decisions – such as the approval of controversial developments or the allocation of public funds. And many simply inform, letting the public know about local issues such as new recycling rules, road closures, or changes to local services.

These stories may not make national headlines, but they are hugely important and matter deeply to the people in their local communities. They also remind the public that democracy doesn’t just happen in London and Westminster, but also much closer to home in town halls, planning committees, and council meetings on their doorstep.

Why it matters now more than ever

Local councils and authorities are the foundation of our democracy. They make decisions that affect our daily lives, yet their work is often overlooked, misunderstood and under reported. In an era of polarisation and misinformation, the need for clear, impartial reporting on local decision-making has never been more apparent.

Across the country we’re currently seeing what happens when trust in institutions breaks down. The LDRS can help rebuild that trust by accurately reporting how these decisions are made, who makes them, and why.

And to the future….

That’s why the work of the LDRS could – potentially – be expanded. In his speech earlier this this year, Tim Davie, Director General of the 麻豆社, suggested ways we could work with our industry partners to report in areas beyond local councils. This could see the scheme further scrutinise health authorities, police and crime commissioners, and regional mayors, or expand into other yet-to-be-discussed areas.

The LDRS is more than a tick-box scheme. It’s a statement that local journalism matters, that democracy matters, and that public service reporting still has a vital role to play.

Here’s to the next half a million stories.