20/07/2025
🏴 Welsh Journalist Will Hayward Launches Investigative Journalism Fund to Champion In-Depth Reporting in Wales
Nine months after leaving WalesOnline to start an independent newsletter exploring Welsh politics and grassroots concerns, Will Hayward has announced a bold initiative to strengthen public interest journalism: the Investigative Journalism Fund. Designed to support early-career reporters, the fund offers both financial backing and expert mentorship for investigative work that puts Welsh issues centre stage.
📰 Tackling Wales' Media Gap
Hayward highlights a well-known problem: Wales’ media landscape is limited—not in talent, but in scale. As misinformation spreads and Welsh Parliament elections approach, he warns that deprived communities and younger generations will be the prime targets. His fund aims to empower emerging journalists who, despite their potential, often lack the networks, training opportunities, and portfolio pieces needed to break into deeper forms of reporting.
With this scheme, Hayward is turning recognition into action—helping build a more resilient, diverse and representative Welsh media.
🧑💼 Our Perspective: Championing Critical Journalism in Wales
As long-time advocates for robust, critical journalism in Wales, we warmly welcome this announcement. For years, we've called for more reflective, analytical coverage—particularly in the arts sector—where thoughtful reviews and cultural critique are sorely needed. The trend toward quick-hit influencer content has often left complex stories untold. What Will is doing here is more than commendable—it’s catalytic. This fund doesn’t just acknowledge a gap in Welsh journalism; it actively works to close it. And for a sector that thrives on depth, context, and accountability, that shift is both timely and transformative.
🔍 How the Fund Works
Journalists who are Welsh or based in Wales can pitch a piece of investigative reporting focused on one of the following broad themes:
- Climate change and biodiversity loss
- Poverty
- The rise of the far right and political extremism
- Misinformation, disinformation, and fact-checking
Selected pitches will receive between £150–£500 depending on the scope of work. Hayward will collaborate with each contributor—helping structure the investigation, offering access to contacts, and ensuring that the final product meets a high editorial standard.
Once published on his newsletter and social media, each journalist will be credited, paid, and given a proper byline—offering not just exposure, but a launchpad for future opportunities.
📢 Eligibility Snapshot
- Welsh or Wales-based
- Journalism training or experience required
- Early-career journalists preferred
Experienced reporters are welcome to pitch, though they won’t qualify for funding under this scheme.
💬 Get Involved
Hayward is urging anyone who knows a budding journalist to share this opportunity widely. As he puts it: “Wales desperately needs more people championing Welsh issues and holding those in power to account.”
Read More / Apply:
https://substack.com/redirect/d86de396-b242-45f6-bdfa-1d68f921dbc1?j=eyJ1IjoiNGZuZmt0In0.GqLfEVyODLqcJrqrofkQxIyzojOHs25PkEQEz0Aty8g
