Misinformation: Social Market Foundation Report

Baroness Wheatcroft Excerpts

Thursday 11th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

Local media plays a vital role in informing citizens, strengthening democratic accountability and fostering cohesive communities. We have provided funding of up to £12 million through our local media action plan, which aims to support a healthy and plural local media sector right across the country. It will help local newsrooms innovate and adopt sustainable business models for the digital age, while encouraging the production of high-quality and trustworthy journalism on which communities can rely, particularly at a time when misinformation and disinformation pose growing challenges.

[Baroness Wheatcroft (CB)]

My Lords, the Social Market Foundation report shows that misinformation flourishes particularly where conventional news has withdrawn from the market. Could the Minister consider ways in which schools might be encouraged to get their older students involved in producing local newspapers? For instance, covering local council meetings would be a fantastic education in politics and civil affairs.

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

Absolutely. Media literacy is essential for helping children, young adults and adults to identify, question and challenge misinformation online. My 19 year-old daughter and her friends are constantly online and, luckily for them, they really are now able to differentiate between correct information and misinformation. In March, DSIT published its three-year media literacy action plan to strengthen critical thinking and online resilience across society. In February this year, we launched a pilot campaign and the Kids Online Safety website to support parents and carers. Alongside this, the Government are committed to strengthening media literacy in the updated national curriculum, following the independent curriculum assessment review.