Melksham News leads campaign for a fair share of government advertising for the independent news sector

MELKSHAM News met with the Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, and local MP Michelle Donelan last week to highlight the difficulties independent publishers are facing to be included in government public information advertising campaigns.

The meeting, held at Parliament, was organised by MP Michelle Donelan, who has been a supporter of independent local newspapers.

Joe McCann, operations manager at Wiltshire Publications who publish the Melksham News and its sister titles, said, “I met with Oliver Dowden last week to discuss the challenges Melksham News and other independent publishers have faced when attempting to be considered for government public advertising.

“It has been our experience that the government’s media buyer, OmiGOV, has favoured the larger media publishers such as Newsquest, who publish the Wiltshire Times locally. When choosing where to spend government funds on advertising, independent publishers are often being overlooked completely.

“We would argue that does not always represent the best value for money as advertising in newspapers such as ours is often cheaper, with the potential to reach a wider audience due to our higher print figures when compared to our competitors from the larger media groups locally.”

The government spends millions of pounds each year on newspaper advertising to provide information to the public on subjects which include public service information, health and personal safety campaigns, and explaining government programmes. This proved especially important during the pandemic.

Joe added, “During the meeting, we discussed the importance of advertising revenue for the sustainability of free local newspapers and what seems not to be a level playing field for local independent newspapers, compared to titles owned by big media corporations. I was pleased that the Deputy Prime Minister took on board all of the concerns raised.

“The challenges we have faced have been echoed by other independent newspapers across the country, so I am grateful to Michelle Donelan for arranging this meeting, so we were able to campaign to the government directly on behalf of our sector.”

Following the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said, “Independent newspapers are an excellent source of reliable, local, and relevant information for residents and local employers. Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP arranged for me to meet with Joe McCann from Melksham Independent News in Wiltshire to discuss what more Government can do to support these papers, including government-funded advertising and ensuring councils feel enabled to do the same. Joe made a powerful case – I will be challenging the system, and I will keep Michelle updated.”

Michelle Donelan MP said, “Independent newspapers champion the voices, stories and issues of local communities which is why their readership is so high. It’s therefore common sense that advertising would be more effective in these types of newspapers. That’s why I asked the Deputy Prime Minister to meet with Joe McCann from the Melksham Independent News to put forward our local case as a valued local employer and trusted news source. I will be following up with the DPM in due course to see what changes can be made to support this sector, as I do for all business sectors in my constituency.”