A new Digital Home: why our app is the Engine Driving The Bristol Cable's next Decade

A familiar face returns to the PINF blog to introduce a first for UK local news. Jaldeep Katwala, one-time Network Manager at PINF turned at Operations Lead at the The Bristol Cable, talks us through the outlet’s brand new app.  

The noise surrounding local news is deafening. We hear about media black holes, the decline of legacy print, and the inescapable grip of global tech platforms that treat journalism as little more than engagement fodder. But here at The Bristol Cable, we refuse to let the narrative be defined by crisis. 

For over a decade, we have been a media co-op - created and owned by thousands of people in the city - committed to deep investigative journalism that challenges power and amplifies unheard voices. Our mission is not just to report the news, but to build a stronger, fairer co-op and community. To secure that future, we knew we couldn't just keep pace; we had to leap.    

That's why our new hybrid news and social networking app, now in beta, is the most crucial strategic development moving forward. It is the engine designed to deliver our North Star Goal for 2030: doubling our membership to 5,000 and achieving complete financial self-sustainability.    

The Catalyst: Patronage Meets Protocol 

Developing proprietary, cutting-edge technology is usually the domain of well-funded startups or major corporations. For a small team like ours, run by members and workers, the cost and complexity can be prohibitive. But this is where the unique power of our co-operative model, particularly our Patron membership tier, provided an unexpected breakthrough.    

This project was catalysed by Michael Foster, a valued Bristol Cable Patron who also happens to be a co-founder of the charity NewsMast Foundation. I first met Michael at our AGM in November last year, when he introduced the NewsMast platform - a UK-accredited charity dedicated to 'knowledge for all for good' - and expressed his strong desire to collaborate with the Bristol Cable. This moment was pivotal. It immediately converted high-level philanthropic commitment into strategic technological partnership.    

This access to specialized expertise, aligned perfectly with our mission, allowed us to bypass the lengthy, expensive process of traditional technology procurement. Instead, we gained a direct path to an infrastructure built specifically for the public interest news sector. 

Building Digital Sovereignty 

We hear constant concerns from our members about the toxicity, misinformation and algorithm-driven chaos of mainstream social media. The app is our principled response and a "world first" in combining news-reading and social networking within one environment, representing our declaration of digital sovereignty. 

The platform that NewsMast Foundation have designed is built on the Fediverse (Mastodon) open-source protocol. This means there is no central algorithm dictating what you see, no hidden agenda and no intrusive advertising. The design is down to our new Marketing and Comms genius - Siddhartha Kurapathi. It looks and feels like a winner. 

Three seamless layers  

In practice, the app provides three seamless layers:    

Integrated News: the home screen features all our familiar news sections, top stories, and in-app article and podcast playback. 

The Following Section: a dedicated space for members to connect directly with Cable staff and each other, transforming passive consumption into active participation - a crucial element of our co-op structure. 

Curated Channels: feeds, managed by NewsMast, that aggregate high-quality posts on critical global themes like climate change, connecting our local journalism to the wider world.    

Members retain full privacy and control, able to manage their visibility and restrict where their comments appear. This is not just a safer space; it’s a meaningful space, designed to reinforce member trust and, critically, improve member retention.    

A Blueprint for Resilience 

The creation of this high-value digital asset is key to our financial runway. It gives us a compelling, tangible product to offer as a benefit, ensuring we hit the target of securing 500 new digital members needed to break even in Year 1 of our strategy.    

For our peer organisations, this project offers a clear blueprint. It proves that combining a strong patronage strategy with a commitment to mission-aligned, open-source technology can insulate local journalism from the instability of corporate platforms. We're not just building an app for Bristol; we're collaborating on a scalable, ethical solution designed to strengthen the entire independent news sector.    

The app is our new digital home, built with us, for us, on a foundation of ethical technology and member power. It’s how we hope to ensure that our pioneering investigative journalism remains permanent in Bristol for the next decade. 

Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from PINF.