The parent company of Facebook has announced £5.9m of fresh funding for a ground-breaking journalist training programme which will enable it to continue for a further two years.

Over the past three years, 139 reporters have successfully been recruited to the community news project, with many of them graduating into full-time roles.

Today Facebook owner Meta is announcing it is investing an additional £5.9m in the project over the next two years, expanding the number of trainee places from 82 to up to 100.

The project is a partnership between Meta, the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and nine regional publishing groups – Archant, Barnsley Chronicle, Baylis Media, JPI Media, KM Group, Midland News Association, Newbury Weekly News, Newsquest and Reach.

Community reporters pictured at a Facebook ‘bootcamp’

As a result of the funding boost, the partnership could now be extended to include other publishers with the NCTJ inviting expressions of interest by Thursday, 6 January.

Under the terms of the project, publishers wishing to join will need to demonstrate how a CNP-funded reporter could be deployed in a way that engages a currently underserved community and/or location.

They will also need to demonstrate that the reporter can be offered a suitable level of support in the newsroom and in respect of their NCTJ training.

The new community reporter vacancies will open for applications in the new year. Applicants do not need to have had any prior journalism training or experience.

Joanne Butcher, chief executive of the NCTJ, said: “The Community News Project is widely regarded as one of Meta’s most innovative and transformative projects for the regional publishing media.

“The results speak for themselves: an increase in the number and diversity of trainees joining newsrooms, who are increasing coverage of their communities while becoming professionally-qualified journalists. In fact, at least 68pc of the reporters hired in the initial programme met one or more of the diversity criteria being measured.

“News of Meta’s longer-term commitment and even greater investment in the project comes as a real boost after such a challenging time.

“The 73 newsrooms from nine publishing groups deserve great credit too for making the project a big success so that it can benefit even more publishers in the future.”

Toby Granville, editorial director at Newsquest and chair of the CNP governance committee added: “This expansion of the CNP is excellent news for the industry. I’m thrilled that it means that we are now going to be able to dive even deeper into our communities – and in many cases, with journalists from a diverse background who will make a massive impact with more inclusive reporting.

“This is great for them, great for our communities and great for trusted local journalism.”

Sarah Brown, head of news partnerships, Northern Europe at Meta, said: “The CNP is a great example of delivering a powerful journalism training programme in partnership with local newsrooms across the UK.

“At Meta we like to build community, and these roles are fully focused on giving voice and telling stories that matter from underrepresented groups across the UK. Likewise, the NCTJ has been a wonderful partner in delivering an excellent programme of training, helping create the editors and publishers of tomorrow.”

Newbury Weekly News editor Andy Murrill said: “Our CNP reporter has been focused on our previously underserved rural communities, who now have a dedicated page in the paper each week, a reporter they know they can contact with their news and the paper is now truly their champion again.

“The CNP position has been a success for the NWN, our trainee reporter and the communities we serve. I am delighted that the CNP programme will continue for another two years and I can’t wait to recruit another reporter to continue the great work.”