National World says Media Minister Stephanie Peacock, who is Labour MP for Barnsley South, visited The Yorkshire Post on Friday where she met with the title’s head of business and features Chris Burn along with three other members of National World’s editorial team.
They were editor in chief for the North Nicola Adam, Worlds Division Publisher Laura Collins and George Ward, a presenter for Local TV who covered the recent Harehills riot.
The minister and the National World team had an hour-long conversation about covering the riots before she sat down for an interview with Mr Burn, added National World.
Ms Peacock said: “It is important to say thank you to journalists and acknowledge what they are doing on the frontline and the real risks they are taking. Local and national journalists have been in the thick of it, putting themselves at risk to make the public have information they can rely on. In an age of increasing disinformation and misinformation that is a really important role.”
She added: “I’m incredibly supportive of local media. I have a good relationship with local media in my area, The Yorkshire Post and the Barnsley Chronicle.
"That local news ecosystem whether it be broadcast or print journalism which does rely on each other is a balancing act and is facing pressure.
"Now more than ever, as we’ve seen in the last few weeks, having that reliable source of local information and news is really important. It’s not an easy issue to tackle but we are open to hear all ideas because we do want to see local media survive and thrive into the future.”
Ms Peacock was also asked about the prosecutions for inciting riots on social media and was quoted in Saturday’s front page Yorkshire Post story on the issue.
She was also asked about the new Government’s position on the controversial expansion of the BBC into online local news which has been funded by making job cuts to local radio teams. It led to a further article in The Yorkshire Post on Monday after Ms Peacock said the issue would be looked at as part of charter renewal discussions with the BBC.
The Yorkshire Post says it also penned a leader column calling for a fairer playing field between the BBC and local media.
Mr Burn said: “It was brilliant that Stephanie Peacock found the time in her busy schedule to come in and see us in Leeds. In the past few weeks, local newspapers have played a vital role in cutting through a mass of misinformation online and reporting responsibly and accurately on what has been happening in their communities.
“She was also very open to listening to ideas about how local media outlets can have a viable and sustainable in a challenging time for the industry.”
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