Cardiff, September 19, 2026

The future of Welsh journalism and the challenges facing the media industry were discussed at a major National Union of Journalists (NUJ) conference in Wales on Saturday.

The conference, “The State of Media in Wales: Shaping Our Future,” was opened by First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Ap Iorwerth, who worked as a journalist and broadcaster for almost 20 years before entering politics, said journalism was more than a job and had an important role to play in public life.

He said a strong and healthy media sector was essential for ensuring that people were represented and that governments were properly scrutinised.

“Journalism is not just a job  it is a public service,” he said.

The First Minister also spoke about the need to invest in people working in the media. He said the industry needed good jobs, proper training opportunities for young people and greater diversity in newsrooms.

The conference also heard from Laura Doel, general secretary of TUC Cymru and a former journalist.

Doel said the closure of local news outlets could mean that important stories from Welsh communities were no longer being told.

She said smaller newsrooms meant fewer stories were covered, while the loss of journalists also meant a loss of experience and knowledge.

According to Doel, weaker journalistic scrutiny could also lead to weaker accountability.

She highlighted the NUJ’s campaign to establish the Wales Public Interest Journalism Working Group and stressed the importance of putting the recommendations of the Of and For Wales report into practice.

The report includes proposals to improve media literacy and establish a Welsh Media Institute to support a well-funded, diverse and plural media sector.

The role of journalism in promoting the Welsh language was also discussed.

Doel said journalists helped provide people with access to reliable information and played a role in allowing communities to have their voices heard.

She also argued that public funding could be necessary to support journalism, but said strong safeguards would be needed to protect editorial independence and prevent political interference.

Denmark, Finland and Norway were mentioned as examples of countries where public funding exists alongside editorial independence.

The working conditions of journalists were another issue raised during the conference.

Doel said journalists needed decent pay and a voice in their workplaces. She warned that job insecurity and unstable pay could make it harder to attract young people to the profession and maintain high-quality journalism.

The conference highlighted concerns about the future of local news in Wales and the wider challenges facing the media industry.

Speakers stressed the importance of maintaining a strong and diverse media sector, while ensuring that journalists have the support and working conditions needed to continue reporting on the issues affecting communities across Wales.