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Media North Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom (North) l Issue 5, December 2019 l £1

A simple message projected by Led By Donkeys on the iconic Anthony Gormley sculpture, Angel of the North

By Granville Williams channel of a ‘wider pattern of bias’. The party alluded to The weekend reviewing ’s licence after the election made grim Well, we didn’t (which runs out in this par- reading. Election maps of the liamentary term) ‘to look at swathes of the country where whether its remit should be once Labour dominated went better focused’. blue. What went wrong? stop him. A clampdown on public One key factor for the em- broadcasters by an all-pow- phatic Tory victory was their erful government would be media strategy. Dominic Cum- deeply worrying. The pros- mings, and the team working So what next pects for media reform are for him, have a track record of also likely to be frozen. success with the Brexit cam- We won’t see a second paign, the Australian election, stage of the Leveson inquiry and this. for the media? or the inquiries into media Cummings’ style of media ownership and ‘fake news’ strategy is gloves off, cynical, the Tory landslide are pretty declared that he was ‘looking that Labour was promising. fast and loose with the facts, disturbing. We saw the way at’ scrapping the licence fee. The Tory election social me- driven by paid advertising on treated col- “How long can you justify a dia campaign was driven by social media, and dismiss- leagues he perceives to have system whereby everybody disinformation and fake news ive of the democratic role of been disloyal; he is a man who has a TV has to pay to – why would they want to go broadcast media. who holds grudges and set- fund a particular set of TV and near any inquiry? And, at the core of it, was tles scores. radio channels?” he asked. And the Silicon Valley tech a confident reliance on the Johnson and his media When Channel 4 News re- giants who would have been bloc of Tory-supporting news- chief, Lee Cain, issued a series placed Johnson and Farage taxed to fund the Labour pol- papers to be ‘on message’ and of threats to public service with melting ice sculptures icy’s free super-fast £20 billion deliver a relentless attack on broadcasters during the cam- after they shunned a leaders’ broadband scheme can rest Jeremy Corbyn and Labour. paign. debate on climate change, the easy now. It’s what we can now ex- Days before polling, when Tories lodged an impartiality l Our Leeds conference pect in future elections he was feeling heat over his re- complaint with . It was on 8 February will focus The implications for sec- fusal to be interviewed by the rejected. Conservative media on these urgent issues tions of the UK media of BBC’s Andrew Neil, Johnson chief, Lee Cain, accused the (see Page 8). new ownership woes hit local media – Pages 4 and 5 2 | MediaNorth December 2019

Left: Andrew Norfolk, So who had the ’ chief investigative death threats? reporter Below: ’s Tim Gopsill on The Times’ front page headlining reporter accused of racist Sarah Champion’s and dishonest reporting 2017 report (Images from One of the most lauded in- charity called Just Yorkshire, Unmasked) vestigative journalists in the which campaigned for racial national press stands accused and social justice, launched of racist and dishonest report- a consultation to test local ing, demonising the Muslim opinion. community in a Yorkshire Its report came out in town and attacking a progres- March 2018. Many of the sive inter-community group, 165 summarised responses rare correction, that ‘no death forcing its closure. criticised the MP but also threats made at the time were Andrew Norfolk, The praised her work supporting attributable to the report’. Times’ chief investigative re- victims. The report had been Had there been threats, porter, based in Leeds, has sent to her in advance, and police would surely have won a string of awards, in- to relevant national and local questioned Just Yorkshire, but cluding Journalist of the Year authorities, but no reactions there has been no contact. in 2014, for his revelations of were received. anybody and works across child sex abuse gangs, notably Then in July 2018 Andrew Deliberate misquoting communities – or used to. Af- in Rotherham, for which 19 Norfolk had a story in The The phrase ‘industrial-scale ter this and later stories from men and two women were Times claiming: “An MP who racism’ had come from the Norfolk, it lost its funding and jailed in a series of trials. received death threats after report, in this sentence: ‘To collapsed. condemning the abuse of girls attempt to define the issue of The one thing that is true Sun article by groups of British Pakistani child sexual abuse along eth- is that Champion’s security Norfolk’s reports led to wide- men has been given increased nic lines … or claiming there was stepped up, but not in spread comment that all the police security … Sarah Cham- is something inherent in the connection with the story. men were Asian Muslims and pion was accused by activists [Pakistani] heritage is border- MPs, especially women, do the children all white. Nei- … of ‘industrial-scale racism’ ing on industrial-scale racism’. get threats, and in Yorkshire ther was true but the MP for …. Criticism of the former La- It was notional, not an accu- there is special concern since Rotherham, Sarah Champion, bour frontbencher has been sation against Champion, and the assassination of Jo Cox, wrote an article in The Sun in led by racial justice charity the qualifying words ‘border- but the perpetrators are usu- 2017 headlined ‘British Pa- that claims to speak on behalf ing on’ had disappeared. ally far-right white racists. kistani Men ARE raping and of the Pakistani community.” All journalists know these Nadeem Murtaja, former exploiting white girls’, which Not much of this was true. tricks of deliberate but just- director of Just Yorkshire, has said: ‘These people are preda- There is no evidence that about-defensible misquoting, praised Norfolk’s earlier work, tors and the common denom- Champion received death and many do use them, but but says: ‘He was demonising inator is their ethnic heritage.’ threats, and indeed after Just they are inexcusable in such the whole community, which In the row that followed, Yorkshire made complaints sensitive areas as this. is no more responsible for the Sarah Champion resigned as to police and to the national Just Yorkshire, founded crimes of these predators than Labour’s front-bencher on papers’ tame press regulator in 2003, does not represent the whole white community equalities, and a Rotherham IPSO the paper published a is for white crime. And he was trying to make us look like Al- Qaeda.’ Read the Unmasked report While Champion did not receive death threats, Murtaja Andrew Norfolk’s anti-Muslim reporting is analysed in detail in a report and his family did, as a result from the Press Gang entitled UNMASKED, price £10, written by Brian of the reporting. One of these Cathcart and Paddy French. It covers other stories as well and is online at read: ‘Filthy inbred Muslim https://hackinginquiry.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Norfolk_ cunts. We’re going to kill you Report_Unmasked.pdf all. Britain first’. Andrew Nor- folk has never reported that. December 2019 | MediaNorth 3 TV correspondents should think before they Tweet Laura Kuenssberg’s apology a voice for the Conservative for her tweet reporting the Trigger-happy Twitterati need to Party. fake news that a Conservative ’s edict on aide had been punched in the take more care, says Nicholas Jones entering Downing Street with face by a Labour activist was in 1997 was that he yet another illustration of the news online or the Ten O’Clock wanted the government’s in- erosion in editorial standards News. formation machine to ‘grab the that has resulted from cut- When Kuenssberg and agenda’ rather than just supply throat competition among Peston tweeted that a Tory information or simply react to journalists to be first with the aide had been punched by a requests from the news media. news on . By placing Labour activist after a visit to At election time his opera- her trust in the truthfulness Leeds General Infirmary by the tion merged seamlessly with of Boris Johnson’s propaganda Health Secretary Matt Hancock that of Labour and the blur- machine she has endangered (9.12.2019) they were relying ring of responsibilities between the BBC’s reputation for accu- on briefings by Conservative government and party has con- racy and reliability. sources and had not seen foot- tinued with a vengeance under As a BBC correspondent for age of the incident itself. Cummings. 30 years can speak with first- In their subsequent Twit- hand experience of the inher- ter apologies Kuenssberg said Salutary lesson ent dangers – and frustrations Laura Kuenssberg ‘two sources suggested it had In my final years as a BBC – of having to deal with media happened but clear from video correspondent, my difficulty advisers closest to the Prime that was wrong’ and Peston was that it was hard to check Minister who tend increasingly acknowledged it was ‘com- out or challenge information to speak exclusively to a hand- pletely clear from video foot- passed down the line from the ful of trusted journalists. age’ Hancock’s adviser was ‘not political editor. Once installed inside No 10, whacked by a protestor, as I At critical times the point of Johnson’s mercurial spin doc- was told by senior Tories’. contact was – and is – the BBC’s tor started political editor; calls from oth- to boast openly of how he and Formidable reputation er correspondents did not get his team in Downing Street had My 30 years with the BBC through. Hence my concern a direct line to three top jour- ended in 2002 – well before at the additional responsibility nalists – Kuenssberg, the BBC’s the Twitterati started to domi- that filing instantly for -Twit political editor; Robert Peston, nate the news agenda – but ter has placed on the likes of ITV’s political editor, and Tim the seeds were already being Kuenssberg and Peston. Shipman, political editor at the sown for the erosion in edito- What they are reporting as Sunday Times. Robert Peston rial standards. news is often no more than a Cummings understands full Back in the 1970s the BBC’s tip off – and, as any journalist well the manipulative power of media on the strength of their political editor would get brief- knows, that has to be substan- a spin doctor that, by trading following on Twitter rather ings from the Prime Minister’s tiated. information on an exclusive than their political knowledge press secretary that were not Perhaps a salutary lesson for basis to a handful of selected or judgement as a top broad- available to other correspond- the trigger-happy Twitterati is journalists, there is every likeli- caster. ents or journalists, but the to recall what happened when hood he will get more favour- Competing to be first with purpose then was to explain John Prescott was involved in a able coverage in return. the news on Twitter – despite government background and confrontation with a protestor an increase in the character thinking rather than promote on the way into a Labour rally Competing to be first limit from 140 to 280 letters a new story line. in Rhyl in the 2001 general Herein lies the danger for – is high risk, all the more so In the 1980s, the redoubt- election. Kuenssberg and Peston: both for Ms Kuenssberg whose writ able Bernard Ingham had a for- Despite an exchange of have to be the voice of au- within the BBC is sacrosanct. midable reputation for the in- blows having been witnessed thority for the BBC and ITV Once a fact or information sight he could offer journalists by its own reporter, respectively, but they are also from the political editor gets in similar off-the-record brief- waited a full hour in order to having to chase their tails in a into the BBC’s news machine ings about the ins and outs of view the video before reporting media world where journal- that becomes the line to take, the Thatcher era, but his remit that Prescott had in fact retali- ists are more than likely to be whether it is in a news bul- remained that of a government ated, hitting the protestor on judged by the rest of the news letin on a local radio station, information officer rather than the chin with a left jab. 4 | MediaNorth December 2019

Quentin Gray surveys the turmoil and uncertainty facing local and regional newspapers New round of ownership woes hits local media

The provincial media own- ership maelstrom goes on as once proud titles continue to see their financial strength fade away. The shift of readers away from printed newspapers, which traditionally provided the bulk of revenues and prof- its through copy sales and ad- vertising, has been stark. Enders Analysis detailed that total weekly regional circulations fell by half from 42m to 22m be- The fate of regional newspapers with a proud history could soon tween 2009 and 2016, with be decided by David Montgomery paid-for copies falling from 26m to 13.8m. for possibly some thin profit national newspaper sold in ing down the fading assets of After – the by new owners– a consortium November 2019 for some JPI Media and possibly other Yorkshire Post, Lancashire of four former lenders. £50 million to the groups across the nation. Evening Post and The Scots- But things have got so bad owner. Growling on the sidelines man publisher – went bust in regional print and linked So what is left to save the is David Montgomery, 71, with debts of £220m in au- internet sites that the new once mighty Johnston Press: whose historic claim to fame tumn 2018 and morphed into owners have been struggling a white knight with bags of was as an editor of the News a new group JPI Media, it was to sell off the 200 plus print dosh from an internet growth of the World in the 1980s and only a matter of time before titles and web sites. stock? No, there is a not-so- between 1992 and 1999 he it would be sold or broken up All that has gone is the i new kid on the block hunt- served as chief executive of

New owners save bankrupt Scottish publisher One of Scotland’s largest pub- to take over the business. lishers of local newspapers is The move secures the jobs under new ownership after of 135 people and ensures the briefly going into administra- survival of 18 local newspa- tion. pers, including the Inverness Administrators were called Courier. in by Scottish Provincial Press The new company is a joint (SPP) on Tuesday morning 11 venture between SPP’s former December. But a new compa- majority shareholder Peter ny - Highland News and Me- Fowler and Cambridge-based dia Ltd - was quickly formed Iliffe Media. Iliffe Media come to the rescue December 2019 | MediaNorth 5

the Mirror Group. build’ news publishing busi- nett was completed with New family-owned group backed He has had mixed forays nesses. The company said: Media Investment Group. by Yattendon and now pub- into UK and European provin- “National World will jettison Another major indus- lishes titles across the Mid- cial newspaper ownership. legacy systems and archaic in- try bidder from the UK for lands, the East of England The most unfortunate side- dustrial practices to create ef- JPI Media also dropped out and Kent. line was Mecom Group which ficient dissemination of news, in the autumn. New Reach It was formed in Sep- swallowed up titles across Eu- monetising it by matching chief executive and former tember 2016 and over the rope including ones in Berlin, content to audience.” News UK executive Jim Mul- past three years has bought and Holland, until Montgomery could even len took a look under the 13 East of England titles itself fading away after being target former JPI Media suitor bonnet and found that the from Johnston Press, plus bought in 2014 by a Belgium , owner of The Her- spark really had faded away the KM Media Group, the Ne- group. Mr Montgomery spear- ald titles in Glasgow and Dar- and dropped talks over a wark Advertiser and Newbury headed the purchase of North- lington’s Northern Echo. The £50m offer. Weekly News. cliffe Media by Local World, a Newsquest group was said to Instead, Reach (former- Of the few remaining inde- consortium of regional news- have dropped out of the race ly Trinity Mirror) plans to pendents, the Barnsley Chron- paper publishers and inves- in November after the merger launch new websites under icle, Rotherham Advertiser and tors, before the company was of its US parent company Gan- its burgeoning Live arm early Stranraer & Wigtownshire Free sold to Trinity Mirror – now in 2020. Some 50 journalists Press in south west Scotland Reach – in 2015. are being recruited to target show that there is still life in His new UK company Na- Sheffield and Sunderland to providing proper news cover- tional World is eyeing to gobble Montgomery further challenge JPI Media age for a local area. Long may up JPI Media as a readymade spearheaded the and in Newport and Bradford they reign. empire. In early December to face up to Newsquest. the new company was invited purchase of In the provinces, at least a Quentin Gray was a to start talks over a formal bid. Northcliffe Media few independents keep bat- business and news sub-editor National World was created in tling on. Iliffe Media has been on the Yorkshire Post for September 2019 to ‘buy and by Local World revived as an independent nearly 25 years.

Newsquest drops jobs plan MediaNorth Newsquest Glasgow has National. This issue went to press on 16 December 2019 lifted the threat of com- The union had also raised Editor: Granville Williams pulsory staff redundancies the issue of bullying which Design and Production: Tony Sutton, www.coldtype.net after nearly 87 per cent of the company had dealt with those voting supported the promptly. If you would like to receive future copies of the online version NUJ’s ballot for industrial In addition, the NUJ con- of MediaNorth contact us at [email protected]. Media- action. ducted a stress survey, in North is published quarterly, and we welcome any comments The papers involved were which just 9 per cent said they or suggestions for articles. We’re on Facebook. Become a friend at: Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom North – The Herald, The Herald on had confidence in the organi- and Twitter: @campaign_and Sunday, the Glasgow Times, sation’s management of its The National and The Sunday Scottish operation. 6 | MediaNorth December 2019 Media policy: What the election manifestos said

By Barry White flinging an election freebie at voters largely able to pay for The central role the media subscriptions themselves. … played in the General Election speed and access are not the campaign is undeniable. So only problems. When young too was the pro-Conservative people do access the inter- party dominance of much of net, which is most likely to be the national press together through a mobile phone, they with its anti-Labour party see different things: those in bias. Social media offered al- deprived areas are bombard- ternative platforms for the Covers of the manifestos ed with burger and betting parties and people to get their issued by the three main advertisements, while young messages across. political parties people in more affluent -ar So what new policies did eas are shown advertisements the parties offer? regulator then access to low for university open days and cost arbitration becomes sports equipment.’ Section 40 criticised mandatory. This removes the The article also reminds The Conservative Party’s threat of potentially huge loss- us that: ‘We see parents in manifesto does not say much, es for both ordinary citizens deprived areas paying a small but what it says is significant. who may be the victims of fortune for subscriptions of- On free TV licences for the illegal journalistic behaviour fering a few miserly kilobytes over-75s, it states that: “We and for publishers who may of decrepit and creaking cop- recognise the value of free TV be threatened by a wealthy per broadband…’ This is hap- licences for over-75s and be- litigant who doesn’t like what pening not only in rural ar- lieve they should be funded they have printed.’ eas, but in urban/city internet by the BBC.” However, Section 40 has cold spots. The proposal aims The BBC has said it will been criticised by a number of to bring about high quality continue to provide TV li- press freedom organisations provision for all. cences to over 75s who claim as well as the media owners. means-tested pension credit. Free Press editor Tim Gopsill, Safeguard plurality Leveson-compliant regulator On the press: “…we will writing on Leveson in its final Labour had six main pledges The Liberal Democrats also repeal section 40 of the Crime issue (215, Summer 2018) including supporting public offered six main pledges in- and Courts Act 2013, which stated that: ‘...we have ended service broadcasting and lo- cluding the introduction of a seeks to coerce the press” and: up with a demure and point- cal newspapers and media Leveson-compliant regulator “We will not proceed with the less Press Recognition Panel outlets; action to address and holding Leveson 2, while second stage of the Leveson (PRP) and above all the ab- the monopolistic hold tech the Green Party offered four, Inquiry.” This is not new. Af- surd injustice of Section 40 giants have on advertising which included the need to: ter the last election the May of the Crime and Courts act revenues, and to safeguard ‘safeguard a healthy plurality government said it would re- under which the redress that a healthy plurality of media of media ownership’. Both the peal section 40 and scrap Lev- people might attain from a ownership. Scottish and Welsh national eson 2, but these proposals publication would depend on They also promised to pro- parties wanted devolution of were not implemented. The which regulator the offender vide free ‘full-fibre’ broadband media policy to their parlia- government did not have the happens to be affiliated to…’ for every home and business. ments. numbers to pass the neces- Index on Censorship de- As an article in ’s All but the Conservative sary legislation. scribed Section 40 as ‘a direct Society (3 December) points Party made attempts to ad- The Section 40 decision is threat to press freedom and out: ‘This manifesto com- dress some of the long-stand- heavily criticised by Natalie must be scrapped…’ mitment goes well beyond ing policy concerns high- Fenton of the Media Reform lighted by media reformers, Coalition who says: ‘Section but we need to go much fur- 40 … is key to persuading ther if we are to have a media the press to join a recognised Parents in deprived areas pay a small fortune that serves our 21st century regulator through a system of for subscriptions offering a few miserly kilobytes democracy. Urgent reform is carrots and sticks – if a news needed to reclaim the media publisher joins a recognised of decrepit and creaking copper broadband… in the interest of the public. December 2019 | MediaNorth 7

Wapping strikers tell their stories The Wapping dispute of arranged demonstrations and 1986-87 was a fight to save pickets to disrupt Murdoch’s jobs. Before the dispute, Fleet business and fight for their Street newspapers were type- jobs and workers’ rights. The set with hot metal and the industrial dispute raged for print unions were powerful. over a year. secretly built Now a film about the mo- a system to print and distrib- mentous events of that year, ute all of his newspapers from titled Wapping: The Work- Book the date: Thursday 7 a new high-tech plant at Wap- ers’ Story, is being made by May, 7.00pm at the Quaker ping. Chris Reeves of Platform Meeting House, St James’ St, When negotiations be- Films. Chris says, “We have Sheffield S1 2EW. tween Murdoch and the print filmed 20 interviews with unions over employment sacked printworkers and the Remembering conditions for the new plant ‘refusenik’ journalists who Wapping ’86 broke down, nearly 6,000 joined them.” Download Nic Oatridge’s workers went on strike. Mur- The film will be shown as 16-page photo essay (right) at doch immediately dismissed part of the Sheffield Festival www.coldtype.net/Assets/ them. The sacked workforce of Debate season in Sheffield. pdfs/Wapping1.pdf The man who bought a paper and created chaos David Dimbleby has an- ries, The Sun King. took on the New York Post and chored the BBC’s coverage Murdoch, now 88, still explores his controversial war of every general election remains controversial in the against the British print un- since 1979. This year he was use of the global media he ions at Wapping. replaced by . owns to exert political power Media dominance under But Dimbleby’s views on in Australia, the UK and the helped the 2019 election campaign USA. Murdoch gain unprecedented were withering: “This elec- Dimbleby tells the story of access to power. The Sun King tion is the most vile election how Rupert Murdoch turned also covers ‘the media mogul’s that I’ve ever seen… I hate The Sun from a cautious lowest moment’ – the phone- the amount of hatred and into Britain’s most hacking scandal. It also looks disillusion that is about. I referendum campaign. One widely read tabloid newspa- at the origins of in think it’s the most appalling person who has played a key per. He also shifted it from 1996 and its part, two decades spectacle.’ role in both coarsening politi- being a Labour-supporting later, in supporting the rise of Dimbleby said he first no- cal debate and fostering anger newspaper to a strident Tory- Donald Trump. ticed the souring of political and division in the reporting supporting tabloid. debate whilst chairing Ques- of elections is the subject of The podcast follows Mur- The Sun King is available on tion Time during the Brexit Dimbleby’s new podcast se- doch to America where he the Audible podcast series. 8 | MediaNorth December 2019 Jack’s story shows need for media reform One media event in the elec- Graphic had seen a Facebook post that tion highlights the urgent from the proved we are lying’. relevance of the MediaNorth election- That’s why the front page conference in Leeds on Sat- day front of the Yorkshire Post on elec- urday 8 February (see details page tion day had the headline ‘Call below). of the for urgent electoral reform’. Its It was the media storm Yorkshire Comment column stated, ‘It is generated by the publica- Evening not hyperbole … to suggest tion in the Yorkshire Evening Post. this relentless, unchecked, un- Post of Sarah Williment’s regulated online wild west is four-year-old son Jack being threatening to destabilise our forced to sleep on the floor democracy…’ at Leeds General Infirmary in standards of the NHS. The a ‘sophisticated and concerted The paper says ‘the people his mother’s red coat due to a story was fact-checked and attack on the veracity of our of this country must never shortage of beds. meticulously sourced before story by online trolls and ac- again be asked to navigate a The boy’s mother sent the publication. tivists’. maelstrom of misinformation photo to the YEP and before The story triggered what For the Yorkshire Post the in order to decide who will publication the paper checked the paper described as ‘some tipping point came when loy- govern them’ and calls for a the veracity of the photograph. of the most aggressive nega- al, committed, life-long read- ‘root and branch review’ by The hospital apologised, ad- tive social media reaction we ers began contacting the edi- the government. That might mitted there was no bed and have experienced’. The YEP’s tor to advise him they would be a tall order for a party that the treatment of the boy sister paper, the Yorkshire Post, no longer be buying or read- which has just been elected fell woefully short of the high was also caught in the flak by ing the paper because ‘they on lies and disinformation. MediaNorth Conference IT’S THE MEDIA, STUPID! Post-election policies for media reform

Henry Moore Room, Leeds Art Gallery, The Headrow, Leeds LS1 3AA Saturday 8 February 11.00-5.00pm Conference fee £10.00 Concessions £5.00

This conference will analyse the lessons to be learned from media coverage of the 2019 General Election and put forward arguments, ideas and policies for diverse, democratic and accountable media. This will be a popular conference and you need to book your place in advance.

Sessions on: Speakers confirmed: l The Media and the Election l Dorothy Byrne, Head of News and Current l The Press: Ownership, Regulation Affairs, Channel 4 and Ethics l Nick Jones, former BBC Political and l Broadcasting: Regulation & Impartiality Industrial Correspondent l Policing Propaganda: Democracy and l Dr Justin Schlosberg, Media Reform the Internet Coalition & Birkbeck, University of l Looking Forward: Policies for Media Reform l Prof Dominic Wring, Loughborough University 2019 Election Survey Book for the conference by sending a cheque, payable to CPBF(North) with your name, address, organisation (if applicable) and email address to CPBF(North) 24 Tower Avenue Upton near Pontefract West Yorks WF9 1EE. Or you can pay by bank transfer to CPBF(North) at the Cooperative Bank, sort code 08-92-99, account number 65796090 Ref ‘Leeds Conference’ - but please post or email (cpbfnorth@ outlook.com) your details to us

Leeds Art Gallery is 10 minute walk from Leeds Railway Station and a 15 minute walk from the city centre bus station