Cross-party campaign by MP's to support local press
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Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has led a campaign asking that the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to support local and independent media through an increased share of public health communications spending.
The letter has been backed by 40 MPs from across Parliament, including Gordon MP Richard Thomson himself a former reporter for the Ellon Times, and former Cabinet ministers and shadow ministers.
It highlights the importance of local press in communicating trustworthy information and the financial strain faced by local journalists in light of the coronavirus.
Mr Carmichael said: “Local press are some of the most trusted sources of news for our communities and we must support them in this challenging time.
"They are vital to our efforts to respond and recover from the coronavirus and yet they are facing significant financial difficulties.
“This letter is about getting a fair share of government advertising spend for local and independent press, to reflect both their importance in our communities and their financial needs. The Secretary of State for Health has an important role in deciding where these advertising funds go.
“If the Government takes seriously the need to get valuable and timely information about coronavirus to people in every part of the country then they should get behind this campaign, which is backed by MPs from all sides of Parliament.”
In his letter Mr Carmichael points out that the new “All in, All together” campaign is a welcome effort by the government to provide essential information at this time.
It also notes that: "Accurate and timely information from trusted sources is vital during this pandemic.
"It is well-known that local press act as some of the most trusted sources of information for our communities.
"We believe that ignoring or limiting the use of these media outlets risks leaving our constituents with insufficient access to the trusted knowledge they need.
"Local media groups have been put greatly at risk economically by the current crisis.
"Many press outfits have limited financial reserves or do not meet the criteria for other forms of government support, whether due to their size, the diverse ways in which they operate or other reasons.
"Continued financial exposure without support may risk an existential crisis for much of our independent media.
"We believe that it is essential that the government show its support for independent and community media at this time by pledging a proportionate share of public health advertising spend to local press.
"This would represent both a short-term boost to the government’s public health communications, and a long-term investment in protecting and maintaining our diverse media landscape, throughout the United Kingdom."
The list of signatories is as follows:
Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael MP
David Mundell MP
Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP
Jamie Stone MP
Gregory Campbell MP
Richard Thomson MP
Stephen Farry MP
Martyn Day MP
Tommy Sheppard MP
Gordon Henderson MP
Wendy Chamberlain MP
Damian Collins MP
Michael Fabricant MP
Virendra Sharma MP
Rt Hon Sir Ed Davey MP
Jon Cruddas MP
Dr Philippa Whitford MP
John McDonnell MP
Hilary Benn MP
Tim Farron MP
Sarah Champion MP
Daniel Poulter MP
Graham Stringer MP
Carla Lockhart MP
Mike Hill MP
Greg Clark MP
Zarah Sultana MP
Mark Garnier MP
Dame Margaret Hodge MP
Layla Moran MP
Fiona Bruce MP
Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP
Michelle Gildernew MP
Yvonne Fovargue MP
Mohammad Yasin MP
Rushanara Ali MP
Danny Kruger MP
Christine Jardine MP
Sarah Olney MP
Munira Wilson MP
Daisy Cooper MP
