Journalist and media consultant David Lush reflects on how local newsrooms can embed values, generate impact, and stay true to their mission.
By Raghavi Sharma
In an era where journalism is under pressure—from financial instability to disinformation and AI—what does it really mean for local media to create impact? And how can they do it without compromising on values?
David Lush, a UK-based journalist, publisher, media development consultant and director of Shirumbu Consulting, tackles these questions in the new handbook, Values, Value and Impact, published by International Media Support (IMS) in May 2025. The handbook distills his decades of experience working with independent media across Southern Africa and the UK, blending academic research with hard-won lessons from the field.
In this conversation, Lush outlines why embedding values into editorial and operational decisions is essential for impact—and why impact should be seen not just as an outcome, but as a guide for everything a newsroom does.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
How did the idea for this report come about– and what was the guiding ethos behind it?
My background is as a journalist, a publisher, and someone who’s worked in media development for nearly 40 years. I’m currently consulting in the field. The idea for this handbook came through my part-time PhD research at the Media Innovation Studio, University of Lancashire. It’s a PhD by portfolio that lets experienced professionals reflect on their work and apply that learning to current issues.
I’ve always wondered: how does good journalism sell, and can it be sustainable? I spent 25 years in Southern Africa helping set up the Media Institute for Southern Africa in the ’90s, when newly independent media were sprouting up after the Cold War. The big question was: how do we pay the bills and keep doing this work? I’ve been fortunate to work with many journalists committed to social justice, and balancing positive social change with financial sustainability has driven much of my career.
Through my PhD and work with IMS International Media Support, I explored this tension deeply. The handbook is the first concrete output of that process—it brings together research, current thinking, and data into a practical guide that helps editorial teams (especially in smaller outlets) balance ethical standards, impact, and value-creation to sustain their journalism and continue making a difference.
“How does good journalism sell? And can it be sustainable?”
A lot of what we’ve discussed—balancing ethics, impact, and value—is relevant to journalism as a whole. How do you think these apply specifically to local and independent newsrooms in under-resourced areas that haven’t yet built their audiences?
The beauty of local newsrooms is their clear sense of purpose: they’re driven by a passion to benefit their community through good journalism. That starting point gives them a strong commitment to ethical standards and editorial values. The handbook’s role is to help them sustain that work: to look holistically at resources—beyond just money—and identify ways to benefit the communities they serve. For example, I’m working with a volunteer-run outlet in my hometown that can’t yet afford to pay an editor. We trained community volunteers to report stories that wouldn’t otherwise be covered, enriching content and attracting readers—with the hope of drawing advertisers in the medium term. By tapping into community commitment and redefining “resources” broadly, local teams can sustain their journalism and impact.
“The beauty of local newsrooms is their clear sense of purpose: they’re driven by a passion to benefit their community through good journalism.”
At RFW we support reporters tackling issues from gender to climate. How can reporters and editors plan for impact at the very start of a story, not just after publication?
That’s exactly what the handbook guides teams to do. It’s a step-by-step process for developing a journalism strategy: defining desired impact, ethical standards, and the value you want to create, then mapping out how you’ll know you’ve achieved it. Editorial and business teams brainstorm together—so the tension between “paying the bills” and “practicing good journalism” becomes a strategic trade-off rather than an uphill battle. Each outlet tailors the steps to its audience and editorial values, ensuring impact planning is baked in from day one.
What tools and frameworks work well—especially for smaller newsrooms—when it comes to tracking and communicating impact to funders and audiences?
The handbook is designed to plug into frameworks you’ve already developed, like your impact matrix and revenue toolkit. It starts with the editorial team identifying impact goals and ethical standards, then helps them choose relevant indicators from an impact matrix. On the revenue side, the revenue roadmap offers possible models once teams have clarified their strategy. By aligning those frameworks with the handbook’s process, small newsrooms can both track and communicate the impact they set out to achieve.
We have over 50 newsrooms across 30+ countries in our local journalism cohort. How can they learn from each other on impact and audience building?
Your network is already the platform for that learning. Investigative journalists collaborate across borders, and media networks like MISA have long supported solidarity, shared resources, and joint training. The handbook encourages individual teams to ask: “Can we achieve our goals by collaborating with others?”—whether sharing administrative costs, co-marketing, or forming editorial alliances. Plugging into existing networks and forming targeted partnerships amplifies impact for all involved.
Do partnerships between local newsrooms and larger outlets or NGOs have a role in amplifying journalism’s impact?
Definitely—but it starts with clarity on what impact each partner seeks and what value they bring to the table. Larger outlets can provide safer publishing platforms or wider reach; NGOs can offer expertise or funding. As long as everyone understands the trade-offs and power dynamics—who benefits, who publishes, and why—these collaborations can amplify stories and drive impact beyond what any one outlet could achieve alone.
The report emphasizes co-creating journalism with communities. What practical strategies can local journalists use to engage communities during story planning?
Community media have practiced this for decades—long before digital tools made it mainstream. In the early 2000s, I worked on projects where people living with HIV told their own stories, and mainstream outlets picked them up once they realized the value. Today’s social-media-driven engagement—crowdsourcing story ideas, in-story fact-checking, participatory sourcing—is essentially community media’s legacy. Local outlets should involve audiences in identifying story topics, vetting information, and even producing content, just as community radio did in the pre-digital era.
We’re exploring AI tools at RFW. What potential do you see for AI in advancing values-driven journalism, and how can newsrooms approach it without compromising editorial standards?
AI is a tool—it can be used well or poorly. The critical first step is defining the impact you want, the audience you serve, and your ethical standards. Then ask: “How can AI help us achieve those goals?” For example, in Zimbabwe, a local outlet used pilot funds to automate social-media video editing across platforms—freeing journalists to report more stories. They later developed an AI-generated newsreader to deliver bulletins, again releasing human reporters for core journalism tasks. By starting with clear goals and adapting AI to fit, rather than chasing AI for its own sake, newsrooms can harness technology in service of their values and impact.
Finally, what does success look like for a local newsroom in terms of legacy and long-term impact?
Success is sustaining the impact you define in line with your editorial values and ethical standards—while creating enough value for your audience and funders to keep the lights on. When a local outlet consistently delivers its promised impact and secures the resources to continue doing so, that’s a lasting legacy.
You can read the handbook Values, Value and Impact, published by International Media Support (IMS) here.