An early brainstorm document: ‣

Else, my research aim and objectives (as listed in the confirmation report) can be found here:

Building on the identified gaps in the literature and the context provided in the introductory chapters, this research aims to conduct a comprehensive examination of the robustness of local digital news content in the UK. It will focus on assessing spatial distribution, local relevance, and informational value of this content, and how structural changes in media ownership impact both the content and its role in democratic processes. The study is structured around five specific objectives:

O1 - Identify active digital local news outlets

This objective involves creating a comprehensive database of active digital local news outlets across the UK. It aims to evaluate the completeness and currency of existing directories, answering the following questions:

RQ1) To what extent do established local news directories fall short in terms of completeness and currentness?

RQ2) How does dataset selection influence findings in local news distribution studies?

RQ3) Which digital local news outlets are currently operational in the UK?

O2 - Measuring the spatial distribution of local news content and outlets

This objective examines the geographical focus of local news content, aiming to map the spatial distribution of digital local news in the UK and determine the alignment between the news outlets' stated coverage areas and the actual geographic scope of their content. The objective seeks to answer the following questions:

RQ4) What is the spatial distribution of digital local news in the UK as determined through an analysis of article content?

RQ5) To what extent does the content-coverage distribution align with the intended coverage area in digital local news?

O3- Assessing the prevalence of critical and diverse information in local news content

Using the Critical Information Needs Framework and established measures of diversity, this objective assesses the quality and diversity of local news content, focusing on the extent to which news content fulfils Critical Information Needs, and the extent to which local news content is diverse. The objective seeks to answer the following questions:

RQ6) What is the level of provision of news that fulfils Critical Information Needs?

RQ6a) How does such fulfilment vary, across geography and over time?

RQ6b) How does such fulfilment vary, across publishers and over time?

RQ7) To what extent is local news diverse?

RQ7a) How does such diversity vary, across geography and over time?