This is the report of the online conversation held in March 2026, bringing together 4theRegion members to discuss the importance of creating a sustainable, well supported local media landscape in Swansea and South West Wales.
There is no shortage of news in our lives. Open your phone and you’ll find a constant stream of national headlines, global crises and social media noise.
But what about the new independent restaurant on Wind Street? The graduate who decided to stay and build a business here? The community group transforming a neighbourhood space?
Those stories rarely make national news. But they shape how we feel about Swansea and they can help create real, positive change.
At a recent 4theRegion meetup, local business owners, publishers and organisations came together to talk about positive local media, and why it matters now more than ever for our city and county.
Dawn Lyle from 4theRegion opened the conversation: “Generally regeneration doesn’t focus enough on something that we believe is needed for a flourishing region, which is a locally rooted news and media base.”
How Swansea is talked about, and which stories get shared, affects people’s confidence, pride and whether they get involved.
Constant negative headlines, especially the kind designed to get clicks, can damage how people see their own city.
Natalie Wright, founder of The Swansea Edit, described her magazine as: “a love letter to the city that I was born in, that I’ve been raised in, that I’m raising children in.”
That idea really connected with people in the room.
Jon Franklin from The Swansea Positive explained why he created a print-only newspaper focused on good news: “In our mainstream media, there’s no space for that positivity… we see it as not just a nice-to-have, but as a vital aspect of trying to build a wellbeing economy. “We need to be hearing the positive stories about our city and our county.”
The way people see a place has real consequences. Jacob Perry from Swansea BID said: “It’s quite important that we’re able to perpetuate that positive news.”
If all people hear is that a place is in decline, they might stop visiting. They might not shop there. They might not invest. But when they hear about new businesses opening, cultural events happening, or graduates choosing to stay, confidence grows.
That confidence affects footfall. It affects spending. It affects whether someone decides to build their future in Swansea.
This isn’t about spin or pretending problems don’t exist. Mike Scott of Brand Swansea put it like this: “Owning that story rather than having somebody else tell it from a different perspective… that’s kind of the key to it.”
Swansea is more than a stereotype. It is more than an outdated story. It is a city full of small businesses, creatives, educators, entrepreneurs and community leaders. Many of them are featured in this Directory.
Positive local media doesn’t make things up. It shares what is really happening. It connects people. It reminds us that progress is taking place.
And it is not just the job of journalists. As Kathryn Bulson of Plantasia Tropical Zoo suggested, even small actions matter. Reading constructive stories. Sharing someone else’s success. Choosing not to pass on constant negativity. Together, those small actions change the tone.
The Choose Local Directory is part of this drive for positive local media. It highlights businesses and organisations rooted in Swansea. It encourages people to spend locally. It shows newcomers what is here. And behind every listing is someone who believes in this city enough to invest their time in it.
Find it out more here https://www.4theregion.org.uk/showcase-your-organisation/
