The Welsh Assembly is considering recruiting an “impartial” in-house team of journalists to cover its goings on.

The Assembly, also known as the Senedd, has touted the idea to counter what it claims is a “lack of media plurality” in Wales.

Now it has produced a report on how it can use digital technology to improve “meaningful citizen engagement,” suggesting that the Assembly itself should become a “content platform.”

It believes such a service could provide content for local newspapers and hyperlocal websites across Wales well as “engaging directly” with the public.

The Senedd, in Cardiff

The report states:  “The Assembly is a significant creator of content. On a daily basis it produces a large volume of material covering a wide range of topics targeted at a variety of audiences.

“The traditional media gatekeepers of TV, radio and the press remain important, but they are no longer the only players in town. Bodies such as the Assembly have the option of investing in resources to package and push their content directly to the platforms that audiences are already consuming.

“We think the Assembly should lead the way and establish an integrated content service to engage directly with the people of Wales.

“Headed by an experienced, impartial editor we suggest establishing a small team of journalists focused on producing content about the stories coming out of the Assembly, packaged in a way that is suitable for digital platforms.

“This should be delivered as a distributed digital news service using social media and other channels (such as dedicated email newsletters) to engage directly with people across Wales. We think this service would also provide useful material for the scores of local and hyperlocal news publications around Wales.”

The report claims that in a 2016 survey only 4pc of Welsh people said they read Cardiff-based daily newspaper the Western Mail, while only 2.5pc read the North Wales Daily Post.

HTFP has approached Trinity Mirror, which owns both titles, for a comment on the report.