H&F News is "council propaganda masquerading as an independent newspaper" (Hammersmith and Fulham Liberal Democrats)

Hammersmith and Fulham Liberal Democrats <info@hflibdems.org.uk>

H&F News is "council propaganda masquerading as an independent newspaper"

November 4, 2009 6:00 PM

Conservative MPs on the Commons Culture Media and Sport have singled out H&F News as one of the worst examples of "council propaganda masquerading as an independent newspaper", in their hearings on the future of the local and regional press.

Hammersmith and Fulham Lib Dems have been trying to raise the alarm about the way that the Tory Council's taxpayer-funded paper is competing unfairly with local newspapers to drive them out of business and so remove any independent local media which might hold the administration to account.

Now H&F News has been accused by Tory MP Phil Davies of trying to mislead readers that the paper is an independent publication.

H&F News is produced by the Hammersmith and Fulham Council specifically to promote the (Tory) Council line, and only rarely publishes anything critical of the Council, as those who have followed the saga of the Goldhawk Industrial Estate will know.

But whereas readers on the Council's website will recognise that what they are reading is press releases, those who read the printed version would find it hard to tell that they were not getting a neutral and objective local view.

The Select Committee was also concerned that by publishing all statutory notices such as planning applications in-house Councils are depriving local papers of a significant source of advertising revenue. In the case of H&F News the council s open about seeking external advertisers, exacerbating the damage caused to our local papers.

The Council's argument that it it should not be subsidising local newspapers however avoids addressing the issue of any local tax-payers money should subsidise the ruling party's propaganda, and whether there is a deliberate attempt to remove all critical voices.