4iP Blog

‘think locally, think of small start-ups and on the web, think more about grassroots and getting back to basics’
Roy Greenslade

I’m even later in writing this blog post than normal. Partly as others have already talked briefly about the project and partly as a result of our operations manager Jamie Arnold cracking the whip to get fresh ideas through the system! Given that Talk About Local is one of the biggest deals we’ve done so far I thought it would be useful to give some more details on the project and set down the reasons why 4iP decided to invest in it.

Talk About Local is all about empowering local communities through digital and social media. Every community, large or small has volunteer activists that make the neighbourhood more than a collection of houses. As the letters pages of local newspapers testify to, every neighbourhood activist has a burning need to communicate but few can unlock the power of web publishing. Activists communicate in an expensive and limited way using traditional media or closed email lists. What communities need are good local sites that give people a strong voice for their community. Talk About Local will target deprived communities giving activists basic social webs skills to empower and define their neighbourhoods. Pioneering websites in Kings Cross, Parwich and Digbeth have shown the way.

So, over the next two years Talk About Local will instigate the creation of volunteer run community websites across England. Kicking off in the West Midlands and working in partnership with the UK Online Centres the ambition is to empower 3,000 people directly in 150 places across nine English regions with a focus on the most disadvantaged areas. Alongside that Talk About Local will create enduring community of local publishers and free online training materials to catalyse a growing network of local web publishers. You can read more on the project and how it’s going on the official website.

4iP were keen to fund this project as it aligns so closely with our investment criteria. Firstly, it stimulates alternative voices bringing fresh perspectives to the web. This project is all about giving those without a voice online a chance to get themselves heard. With the emphasis on creating local sites we hope the majority of the sites will be local in flavour helping to fill the gap being left by the retreat of traditional local journalism.

Secondly, by giving voices to local activists the project continues to hold those with money and power to account. Again we hope this will take up and enhance the job once done by local newspapers. But let me stress the hyper local sites on Talk About Local have a mutually reinforcing relationship with newspapers. For instance, Will Perrin’s www.kingscrossenvironment.com regularly breaks stories that the Islington Gazette, Camden New Journal, Islington Tribune and occasionally the Evening Standard run to a wider audience with attribution. The hyper local news site augments the commercial media models by providing it with free content.

Last but not least we believe TAL has a sustainable business model at it’s heart. There are customers who will pay for a Talk About Local service to deliver community websites on the ground. William’s plan is to sell TAL services to major national organisations on a consultancy basis. There have already been a number of exciting pre-launch conversations with potential customers and we’ll post more news on this blog as it happens.

The project is being run by former tech advisor and local community publisher William Perrin working closely with Helen Milner, CEO of the UK Online Centres. From a 4iP perspecive we’re thrilled that this project is a true and meaningful partnership with funding coming from Screen West Midlands, the UK Online Centres and 4iP jointly. Like all good partnerships each party is bringing something other than cash in the form of skills and support.

Update: Here’s what the Digital Britain Report had to say about TAL: Digital Britain is at the beginning of a new and possibly disruptive wave of local news, generated by communities for communities using free online media. Over the medium term this has the potential to be good for local pluralism and expression as commercial funding for traditional media diminishes. 4IP and Screen West Midlands are making a major investment in Talk About Local to create hundreds of new community websites by giving community activists the simple skills. Digital Mentors are taking a similar approach on a smaller scale