By John Whittingdale, Minister of State for Media and Data
Newspapers don’t just keep people up-to-date with stories affecting the lives of their readers, they
also hold the powerful to account and play a vital role as trusted, reliable sources of information
particularly in times of crisis.
These efforts deserve to be recognised and there isn’t a better way to do so than through the News
Media Association’s (NMA) annual Journalism Matters Campaign.
This initiative shines a spotlight on the importance of journalism to society and asks people to share
their views on why journalism matters to them.
As part of the campaign, the NMA is running a public vote where people can nominate their
favourite national and local newspaper campaigns from the ‘Making a Difference’ showcase. This
includes the likes of the Daily Mail’s campaign to support families affected by dementia, and the
Express and Star’s fundraising drive to save a local hospice.
I’d encourage people to vote to help celebrate these powerful campaigns that help drive positive
change.
The government recognises how much journalism matters to our country and democracy. This week
we’ve published new research commissioned as part of our ongoing commitment to support the
sustainability of the local and regional press.
It shows why local news matters: voter turnout in local elections is higher in those areas with a
greater local newspaper circulation, which shows the huge value of reliable sources of local
information.
With increased misinformation on social media, trusted journalism has been a fundamental source
of clarity throughout the pandemic. More than 85 per cent of adults turned to traditional media as a
source of information about coronavirus. And news organisations are more than four times as
trusted for news and information about coronavirus than social media.
Moreover, throughout lockdown, local and regional papers played a key role helping coordinate
volunteering and neighbourhood efforts to make sure the vulnerable got the help they needed.
It’s why the government has weighed in to support newspapers through the pandemic.
At the start of lockdown we designated journalists and newspaper employees as key workers so they
could keep the show on the road and continue their public service.
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We worked with the industry to stop ad-blocking software from preventing advertisements
appearing next to Covid-related content.
We fast-tracked the removal of VAT from digital newspapers to boost sales and provided local
authorities with guidance to help newspaper deliveries continue.
We also launched a major advertising campaign to get public health information across to the public
which also provided a much-needed source of revenue for the press industry.
The All-in, All together campaign saw £35 million for advertising distributed across approximately
600 titles, with more than 60 per cent of the funding, some £21million, going to local and regional
titles.
As we look to navigate our way through and recover from this crisis, newspapers will continue to
fulfill their crucial role taking the pulse of the nation, reporting from the frontline and acting as the
glue that binds our communities together.
To make sure this continues I co-chaired the first meeting of the National Committee for the Safety
of Journalists in the summer. This brings together representatives from government, journalism and
policing to develop a plan to ensure the safety of journalists and to protect them from harm and
threats of violence. The UK is a bastion of free speech and it must continue to be so.
As the Minister with responsibility for the media it remains my absolute priority to do all I can to
support local news outlets. They are the cornerstone of a rich and varied media landscape respected
for its tenacity around the world.
We are privileged to have so many high quality outlets and I urge people to recognise and support all
that’s best about this valuable industry by making sure they back - and buy - their local papers.
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