The first in our new series of interviews with new starters in indie news: Felix Bright, The Finch, tells us about the highs and lows of opening a local news outlet in 2026.
In PINF's 2025 Local News Report, we found that 22 independent local news outlets launched between April 2024 and December 2025. What motivates these plucky truth seekers to establish new publications in the 2020s? What challenges are they facing and what can we do to support them? Over the next few weeks, we aim to find out, with interviews with some of the shiniest new mags on the block.
How did your publication start out?
The idea for The Finch came to me at a McDonald's drive-through, where two friends and I witnessed ten ambulances and five fire engines race into the leisure complex opposite. We all wanted to know what had happened. Over the next few days we eagerly refreshed social media and Google, but found nothing. I envisioned a news service that would solve this issue. I went to a great local journalist, who had been working for free for the local borough wide newspaper, pitched him my idea and he is now my Co-Founder, Luc Gauci Green.
Who does your publication serve?
The Finch covers all of Finchley, an area with around 100,000 residents. Despite having a similar population to Winchester, there’s no other dedicated news service focusing on the wider Finchley area. Like much of London, Finchley has a little bit of everything, including housing and poverty issues alongside incredibly wealthy areas. It’s a melting pot of culture, with each individual within feeling very different to the next.
What’s the best bit about running a local news outlet?
The most enjoyable aspect is undeniably meeting so many people and helping them realise that, while their issues may not make national news, they are important. Running a newspaper inevitably shows you some less savoury aspects of humanity, but despite this, it certainly surprised me how many people are willing to help others across a wide variety of issues.
Tell us about your favourite story so far.
My favourite story was without a doubt the one that has caused us the most trouble. In early August one of our reporters received a tip that the local Budgens would be switching to a Morrisons. We reached out to all relevant parties but received no response; so, we published the story. Within minutes we had various people emailing us saying we had made a mistake and that it was completely untrue, including Budgens themselves.
We were obviously pretty worried at this point, but the specific wording in the emails, combined with our original reporter's own words, gave us confidence. We arranged to meet with the store manager. Although initially hostile, he soon admitted our story was correct in a meeting held with Luc and me in the supermarket's back offices. We published a triumphant follow-up soon after!
What challenges are you facing?
I think the main challenge facing the Finch, as is often the case in independent news, has been financial. Neither Luc nor I come from a sales or mathematical background; therefore, convincing local businesses to advertise with us has, at times, been difficult. Although we have had great feedback from those who have made the leap, many local businesses, which are often already struggling, see us more as something they would give money to out of goodwill, rather than to see a genuine return on investment.
What’s the biggest change you’re hoping to make?
The big change we want to make in Finchley is enabling people to be more informed. An ambitious aim would be seeing voting numbers increase; alternatively, we would love to see more engagement with local issues. Councils and politicians in general need strong, independent press holding them to account; unfortunately, in our area, this was non-existent until now.
What can people do to support you?
The thing we need more than anything, is investment. We have a talented core of journalists who are so passionate about what they do, but they are currently volunteers - this includes both Luc and me (without the talented bit). We ultimately want to develop a self-sustainable way for journalists to become published writers and get paid for their work. Additionally, increased education about the importance of local journalism would massively help.
Thanks for taking part in our series, Felix! Are you a new starter in indie news? Get in touch - we'd love to feature your story.
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