The first selected projects for the "2026 Local Newspaper Reporting Support Program" have been announced, aimed at encouraging quality news content production and supporting local journalism.
The Korean Association of Newspaper Editors revealed the selected projects during a meeting of the selection committee held on June 29. The projects include "The Warning of 'Shutter Streets': The Collapsing Local Business District" by Lee Yeon-woo of Gyeonggi Ilbo and two others, "The Carbon Structure Created by Parking Issues in Gyeonggi Province" by Kim Ji-won of Gyeongin Ilbo and one other, and "Average Working Hours of Non-Regular Workers in Busan: 13.7 Hours Per Week... A Blind Spot in Labor Law Protection" by Kwon Yong-hwi of the International Newspaper.
The project by Lee Yeon-woo and his team received high praise for framing the issues faced by small businesses as a public agenda directly linked to the local economy and residents' lives, rather than merely individual management struggles.
Kim Ji-won and her colleague's project was recognized for connecting local parking difficulties to broader issues of climate change and carbon emissions, thereby reframing a community inconvenience as a structural problem.
Kwon Yong-hwi's project was commended for its in-depth investigation into the labor rights protection gaps faced by non-regular workers, grounded in the realities of the local context.
Each of the selected projects will receive a production support fund of 4 million won.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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