have lost a newspaper over the past 15 years. Newspapers are closing or being consolidated at an astounding rate, often leaving behind what researchers label as news deserts - towns and even entire counties that have no consistent local media coverage.Īccording to an Associated Press analysis of data compiled by the University of North Carolina, more than 1,400 towns and cities in the U.S. It’s the kind of journalism - holding local government officials accountable for problems that affect the lives of real people - that is in danger of being lost in many communities around the country. “Those are the kinds of things that journalists do,” Boren said. NAO gave the example of the target to get 1.9 million people accessing talking therapy services by the end of 2023, which it said represented “just a quarter of those with a diagnosed need estimated before the pandemic.Among other things, the city responded by requiring property owners to make repairs when it found violations, rather than just levy fines. It found that while funding and workforce for mental health services have increased, as have the number of people being treated, there will still be “sizeable treatment gaps” by 2023-24 if further action is not taken. The National Audit Office (NAO) has looked at the implementation of the government’s plans related to mental health since 2016, from the 2016 Five Year Forward View for Mental Health to the 2019 NHS Long Term Plan. Increases in staffing levels, funding, and capacity across mental health services in England have not been enough to combat the rise in demand seen since the covid-19 pandemic began, the public spending watchdog has warned.

Government watchdog article