MPs urge government to investigate council-run 'propaganda' newspapers (From News Shopper)

MPs urge government to investigate council-run 'propaganda' newspapers

12:24pm Thursday 14th January 2010

Print
Email
Share
Comments(9)

By Michael Purton »

“PROPAGANDA” newspapers produced by councils using taxpayers money should be investigated by the government, MPs say.

During a 90 minute debate at Westminster Hall last Wednesday (Jan 13), MPs called for restrictions on the type of publications councils can produce.

They also urged the government to act to protect independent local newspapers from unfair competition from council-run publications.

MP for Sutton and Cheam Paul Burstow, who led the debate, said research showed 90 per cent of councils now run their own newspaper, which he called a “sinister trend”.

The Liberal Democrat said: “They are spending large amounts of public money to employ press officers to produce what amounts to little more than propaganda masquerading as newspapers.

“It cannot be healthy for local democracy, or indeed for accountability, for the only source of local news to be paid for by the council.

“Just imagine that a beleaguered Prime Minister decided to hire a team of journalists and commentators to produce a daily newspaper that created a positive image of the government.”

Mr Burstow criticised the Greenwich Council run Greenwich Time newspaper, which is paid for by taxpayers in the borough.

He said: “It mimics the format and content of a local paper. Its cost is £708,000 a year, of which at least £532,000 is borne by local taxpayers.

“Before it goes to print, every page is checked and approved by the council leader.

“The council claims it is not trying to put the local independent paper out of business, but it has adopted the practice of holding back stories for exclusives for its own paper.”

Mr Burstow told his fellow MPs that over the past year 60 local newspapers have closed across the country, which is around one in 20 titles.

During the debate David Evennett, Conservative MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford, said independent local newspapers are vital to democracy and must be protected.

After the debate, he said: “Some councils are not spending taxpayers money appropriately if they are sending out publications that include things that are beyond their remit.”

Minister for Culture, Media and Sport, Sion Simon, told MPs the Office of Fair Trading and possibly Ofcom will investigate the issue.

Print
Email
Share
Comments(9)

Your Say YourShopper

MB, local says...
1:16pm Thu 14 Jan 10

"The Greenwich Pravda" never makes its way beyond our downstairs WC, but I sometimes read it for a laugh. It should be stopped to save the £700,000, but only after the election as it brilliantly highlights the things that voters don't like about the current administration, eg. wasteful use of public money, excessive focus on immigrants and other minorities, failing to respect people's intelligence and trying to influence them through spin, leaders who are out of touch with people's real concerns, failure to even mention difficult issues, putting party political interest above everything else etc. So keep it going for a few more months in the name of democracy!