Newsrooms that work in the public interest need support. Easier access to charitable status would help them secure a sustainable future.
We are journalists, lawyers, funders, academics and media experts working together to protect and develop public interest journalism.
“Many witnesses in our current inquiry suggested that the Charity Commission should take a more expansive approach to charitable status for public interest news organisations, which they argued is achievable under existing charity law.”
– The House of lords’ INQUIRY INTO the future of journalism, 2020
Latest news: ‘Glimmer of hope’ for local news as Surrey publication given charitable status
In March 2024, The Guardian reported that The Guildford Dragon News had managed to gain charitable status. ‘The Dragon’ were our first test case, and have provided the basis for CJP’s charitable status handbook, which you can download from our resources page.
The piece quotes our lawyer Tom Murdoch of Stone King, who outlines the importance of our success in helping the Guildford Dragon News succeed in being the first UK newspaper to achieve charitable status.
The Guardian called it a “glimmer of hope” to the future of local journalism, that “experts hope will provide a lifeline to the decimated local news industry”.
WATCH: CJP evidence to DCMS Local News Inquiry
7th July 2022: Our Chair, George Brock, discusses our mission, and our research on local news deserts in the UK, with the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee in the House of Commons.
LISTEN: World Press Freedom Day Interview
3rd May 2022: On World Press Freedom Day our Chair, George Brock, appeared on the Voice of Islam’s DriveTime Show to discuss the CJP’s efforts to develop the infrastructure of UK journalism, and why the progress we are making is so crucial for its future.
Interview begins at 35m35s. Thanks to Zakarya Sheikh and team for having us.
Guide: Charitable Status for Newsrooms
Could your newsroom become one of the UK’s first to gain charitable status with CJP’s help?
Latest Research: UK News Deserts
Our current research project will illuminate the rise of ‘news deserts’: areas of the UK where local news coverage has declined, or disappeared altogether.
CJP’s Journey to Charity Registration
One of our primary missions is to help newsrooms register as charities. This is the story of our own process of registering as a charity.
Public Interest Journalism?
What do we mean by ‘public interest journalism’, and how does it align with charitable status for newsrooms?
Resources
Articles, reports, organisations, other links and guidance to help you understand what the CJP does, and why.
Organisations
Find out about other groups, projects and organisations around the world working towards aims aligned with the CJP’s.
Charitable Journalism Project 