Prime Minister Keir Starmer has given his backing to the Journalism Matters campaign saying: “Journalism doesn’t just matter. It is also absolutely vital.” In a comment supporting the campaign, the Prime Minister pledged his support for local news, saying: “It is said all news is local. It must remain so. That is why this government will always defend it, work with you and support what you do day in day out.”
In a piece for Journalism Matters, Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch has said that the Conservative Party will “always defend” journalism: “Right now, good journalism is in peril. People have got used to reading stories for free on the internet, and free doesn’t pay for the sort of investigations and editorial that keeps our state in check.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has also spoken out in support of Journalism Matters, highlighting the News Media Association research which found that trust in local news is rising: “That is proof of just how much this industry matters,” the Culture Secretary said.
The three pieces are reproduced below.
The Journalism Matters launched yesterday with a Parliamentary event at which keynote speaker Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief of The Guardian, called for some “healthy, human scepticism” from government about the promise of AI-driven growth at the expense of the creative industries. The first video featuring The Times investigative reporter George Greenwood in a series of interviews with leading journalists talking about their work went live. The Making a Difference vote – which will run until 5pm on Thursday – also launched yesterday.
Starmer: Government Will Work To Support Journalism ‘Day In Day Out’
By Prime Minister Keir Starmer MP
Journalism doesn’t just matter. It is also absolutely vital.
It is the reporters from their local Gazette or Guardian pounding the streets, within their communities, tackling misinformation.
It’s the digital and online reporters – at the scene – adapting to the trends of what local news is noon and night. Reporting not just on the challenges a community faces but putting the good that people across the country do up in lights as well.
It is the editors in the local newsrooms restoring trust with each printed copy picked up from the corner shop stands across our villages and towns. And it’s the people picking them up too.
And I see that each time I visit the length and breadth of Britain. The local Guardian hearing me out when this Government’s ambitious agenda is delivering for working people or the Evening News challenging us when it is currently isn't as well.
That is the truest sense of speaking truth to power and a very special cornerstone of our democracy that we must protect.
It is said all news is local. It must remain so. That is why this Government will always defend it, work with you and support what you do day in day out.
Badenoch: Journalism Is Important And My Party Will Always Defend It
By Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch MP
Good journalism is critical to a functioning democracy. Without it so many scandals, blunders and miscarriages of justice would never have been revealed…and fixed.
As a politician, I recognise the importance of the media in keeping us all honest.
Before politics, I worked for a weekly magazine (albeit on their website – I am an engineer after all, not a journalist!).
This means I have seen close up the pressures, the dedication and the efforts journalists go to in their pursuit of the truth. And why I will always speak up for good journalism.
Right now, good journalism is in peril. People have got used to reading stories for free on the internet, and free doesn’t pay for the sort of investigations and editorial that keeps our state in check.
Meanwhile Labour’s proposals on AI would allow companies to scrape online content without creators getting paid.
Where Labour have got too bogged down defending AI, the Conservatives have brought forward serious proposals that would help bring transparency to AI companies’ use of content, and help creators enforce their rights.
It is critical that we all support good journalism by paying for it when we can.
Especially when it comes to local journalism. Local news still reaches big audiences, and local papers and radio stations have led on some hugely important campaigns, as well as providing ongoing coverage of the impact of scandals and life-changing events, long after the national press have moved on.
As the government pursues its plan of devolving power away from Westminster, local journalism will be even more critical in providing robust scrutiny on behalf of the public.
Which is why we should all be concerned when local administrations, such as the Reform-led Nottinghamshire Council, seek to restrict access to their local newspaper.
The Conservative Party are tougher than that. We have a serious team, working on real plans to improve our country, and the backbone to take the criticism when we deserve it, and the experience to come back stronger and learn from it. Journalism is important and my party will always defend it.
Culture Secretary: Local Journalism Is Heartbeat Of Our Communities
By Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy MP
From the marches on our streets to the quiet corners of our towns, journalists tell the stories that shape who we are. They challenge power, cut through the noise of misinformation and give a voice to people who might otherwise go unheard. I learnt that early on watching my mum, the only woman in Granada TV’s newsroom, hold her own and make sure people’s stories were told fairly and truthfully.
Local journalism is the heartbeat of our communities. Hundreds of local titles across the UK reach millions of people every month, keeping us connected to the issues that matter most: our schools, our high streets, our neighbours.
But we all know these are tough times for local media. Many papers are finding it harder to keep going as the way we get our news changes. That is why we are developing a Local Media Strategy to make sure local journalism can keep doing what it does best: telling the truth, giving people a voice and holding those in power to account. We want to help local papers find new ways to thrive and to make sure journalists have the time and support they need to dig into the stories that really matter.
We also need to inspire the next generation. Journalism is one of the most rewarding and vital jobs there is, but too many young people, especially outside London and the South East, do not see it as a path open to them. Through our new government campaign we are challenging that, showing how people’s curiosity, creativity and sense of fairness can turn into a fulfilling career in the media and creative industries.
And there are reasons to be hopeful. A recent News Media Association survey found that trust in local news is rising, with 80 per cent of adults now trusting what they read in their local media. That is proof of just how much this industry matters.
Our local and national media are far too important to fail. They shine a light into the darkest corners, speak up for those without power, and are an essential part of telling our national story. I am determined to make sure they not only survive, but thrive.
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