The Welsh Assembly has already earmarked £500,000 worth of financial support to community radio stations over a five-year period.

Now Welsh nationalists are calling for a similar initiative for new community newspaper start-ups in the wake of the crisis in the regional newspaper industry.

One Plaid Cymru AM has revealed she has already had discussions with three local groups seeking to plug the gap left by the axeing of two Trinity Mirror-owned paid-for weeklies earlier this year.

Bethan Jenkins represents the South West Wales area in which the Neath and Port Talbot Guardians circulated prior to their closure.

She told the Assembly: "I've already had contact with three groups interested in filling the gap left by the departure of the Guardian newspapers, offering quite varied alternatives to what was there before.

"They have concerns, not least the collapse of the advertising market that has robbed commercial media of much of its revenue possibilities - quite worrying for a start-up of this kind. I know they would certainly welcome Welsh Government input."

Fellow Plaid Cymru AM Leanne Wood, who represents South Wales Central, raised the possibility of funding with Welsh culture minister Alan Ffred Jones.

She told him: "I know that you are aware of the crisis in the print media where many good quality jobs have been lost and local newspaper titles have disappeared.

"All of this has had an impact on the information that many communities use to receive through their local newspaper which is no longer available. This has implications for people's engagement in political life."

Mr Jones replied that if there was a means of assisting projects to set up community-based newspapers he would be "all in favour of it."

He said he was prepared to discuss a possible scheme with colleagues and would respond to Ms Wood in due course.