Interesting times in Port Talbot. Councillors have been invited to a meeting to hear about plans for a not-for-profit local news cooperative.
It takes place in the Bevin Avenue premises of social regen body New Sandfields Aberavon (NSA) on the evening of Monday, March 8.
Local News South Wales is a social enterprise established to provide news, information and training.
The board of seven directors - all professional journalists - is eager to brief Neath Port Talbot Council elected representatives at the get-together in their office loaned by NSA.
Market research has started and will establish what the townsfolk seek. Wise money is on a hybrid offering, with the younger residents probably seeking an online offering, their older neighbours probably seeking a print element.
Early feedback from councillors, AMs and MPs has been warm, with most citing a need for hyper-local content since last year's recessionary demise of local paper the Port Talbot Guardian.
Other grassroots media taking root within the Neath Port Talbot county boundaries in recent years has included youth sector community radio station Afan FM, a string of proudly low-tech advertising vehicles under the Community Magazine banner, and attractive, glossy advertorial titles Valley View and Neath Gnolledge.
All are chipping away at commercial and editorial content below the Radar of the area's media big boys such as the South Wales Evening Post, Swansea Sound and BBC Cymru Wales.
Media Master will follow the progress of all with interest.
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