Laudable audio startup launches with pilot areas and new roles

The Google News Initiative-backed collaboration between regional publishers and podcast experts will put audio journalism and audiences at the heart of local news storytelling

The Google-funded Laudable project, which will see local news publishers collaborate on developing sustainable business models for podcasts and audio in local news, will launch its first pilots in England and Scotland.

The North West, West Midlands and Scotland will be the three areas initially focused on by Laudable, which is operated by Reach plc and JPI Media, two of the country’s largest regional news publishers, and Entale, an innovative new podcast platform.

The project will benefit from a 500,000 euro grant from Google’s Digital News Initiative, which will be used to help develop new platforms for local audio, and identify ways of making podcasts and other audio projects sustainable through revenue.

It will be run by Alison Gow, who has been seconded into the new publisher role from her post as editor in chief (digital) for Reach plc’s regional brands.

The project will see the creation of three new jobs, with those Laudable journalists working with and in the newsrooms and communities, to deliver audio programmes — from bitesize briefings to investigations, campaigns and deep dives into national issues which impact at a local level.

And Laudable will also have a brief to work with communities to identify ways of connecting people whose voices are not currently heard in local news.

The project will see Reach and JPiMedia journalists working together on some overarching topics, or collaborating on standalone pieces of audio that also come together in series form, to create meaningful stories that look beyond an individual brand’s immediate footprint.

Journalists will also work with Entale’s platform, which adds pictures, maps, links, quotes and chapters to shows for a rich, interactive experience.

The joint bid for funding by Reach, JPIMedia and Entale, was submitted in 2018 and confirmed as successful last March.

The first phase of the project will be completed by November 2019.