Today (Thursday) the News Media Association (NMA), which is the voice of national and local news publishers in the UK, launches an industry-wide Don’t Be Duped campaign against political propaganda leaflets designed to look and feel like independent local newspapers. NMA chairman Henry Faure Walker – who is also chief executive of Newsquest Media Group, the publisher of the Hereford Times – explains why leaflets of this kind should be stopped
IN the local news media, we work day and night to bring you trusted news and information which you can rely upon.
It is a role we take very seriously and – in an age in which fake news and hoaxes can circulate like wildfire on social media – it has become even more important.
Politicians at the top of Government – and no less than Her Majesty the Queen – have acknowledged the vital importance of our work providing the public with trusted information during the coronavirus pandemic.
Why would any right-thinking politician seek to undermine this? Sadly, that is happening right now.
As you read this, political propaganda leaflets designed to look and feel exactly like independent local newspapers are being pushed through letterboxes across the country.
During the 2019 general election, the News Media Association railed against these publications after examples published by Labour, Conservatives and the Lib Dems emerged.
The Electoral Commission criticised the practice, citing it as an example of misleading campaigning techniques which the public were concerned about.
We thought we’d seen the back of them but, sadly, in recent months fake local newspapers published by the Lib Dems have started popping up again.
Make no mistake, these publications are designed to fool you into thinking you are reading independent journalism.
In fact, they are the exact opposite – party political propaganda sheets masquerading as real newspapers.
It has been reported that some of the leaflets are not clearly marked as being produced by the Lib Dems.
We think this cynical attempt to mislead you is wrong. It undermines trust in both politicians and independent local newspapers.
That’s why today, the local news media sector is launching the Don’t Be Duped campaign to call out these publications for what they are and see them stopped once and for all.
We have written to Sir Ed Davey, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, and the Electoral Commission to explain our concerns and to call for an end to fake local newspapers.
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