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Buy a newspaper, Britons told, as Covid-19 enfeebles UK media
Oliver Dowden, Culture secretary, made the plea in an article in The Times, reminding readers that the ‘news industry’ is providing a vital service by giving important information to people as the pandemic takes an increasing toll of lives in the UK: over 15,000 deaths.
Add buying a newspaper in your to-do list during lockdown, the Boris Johnson government has urged Britons, as the United Kingdom grapples with steep decline in advertising and circulation in national as well as local news media.
Oliver Dowden, Culture secretary, made the plea in an article in The Times, reminding readers that the ‘news industry’ is providing a vital service by giving important information to people as the pandemic takes an increasing toll of lives in the UK: over 15,000 deaths.
The news media’s dwindling revenue is accentuated by so-called ‘blacklists’ of words that leads to adverts not appearing online beside stories that include words such as coronavirus, Covid-19 or deaths. Estimates of loss due to such blocking are in the hundreds of millions of pounds.
Dowden notes that according to the News Media Association, ad revenues have plummeted by up to 90 per cent: “National, regional and local newspapers are under huge financial pressure, largely because of plummeting commercial advertising on their printed pages and websites”.
“Falling demand for advertising has also been exacerbated by something called keyword blocking, where advertising linked to specific keywords is prevented from being served on papers’ web pages. Some major UK brands and parts of the advertising industry are blocking adverts appearing next to coronavirus-related news stories”.
His plea to support the news media by buying newspapers is backed across the political spectrum. Under UK lockdown curbs, people are allowed to go out of homes while maintaining distance to buy food in shops and supermarkets, where newspapers are on sale.
Sajid Javid, senior Conservative MP and former chancellor, backed Dowden: “Newspapers are indeed our ‘fourth emergency service’. Our democracy depends on a vibrant, free press. Big brands, please stop ad-blocking Covid-19 stories”.
Dowden adds: “We increasingly live in an age of online echo chambers and self-reinforcing algorithms which can compound the spread of misinformation. The single best way to tackle it is through fact-checked news, and I’m pleased to see newspapers playing their part against false stories”.
“I have written to the 100 biggest brands in the UK to urge them to review their advertising policies and check they are not inappropriately blocking adverts from appearing next to news providing a vital public service”.
“Newspapers are at heart of the British media and essential to its vibrant mix. People across the country are rising to the coronavirus challenge and I suggest we all add one small thing to our to do list: buy a paper”.
