Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what support is available to small publishers producing freesheet newspapers during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government recognises the vital role played by media organisations, including small publishers of free newspapers, through their provision of independent, trusted information. During this pandemic, the availability of reliable news content is all the more important.

The Government is committed to supporting the newspaper industry and has ensured that key sector staff, such as field engineers and reporters, have been awarded key worker status. We have also sought to address potential distribution issues, issuing guidance to local authorities on the importance of newspaper delivery, for example.

We understand that newspapers are facing acute financial pressures due to the steep drop in advertising revenues in particular. The government is maximising advertising opportunities for the sector in the challenging economic climate by implementing a significant public information campaign across the local and national press. This has allowed us to provide up-to-date information about our Covid-19 response through reliable channels while also seeking to help offset financial disruptions felt across the sector.

In parallel, we have taken steps to find an urgent solution to ensure that the use of ‘keyword blocklisting’ technology is not inadvertently damaging news publishers’ online advertising revenues for COVID-19 related stories. DCMS has been in dialogue with the relevant technology companies, and many major UK brands, to tackle this issue and ensure that relevant policies and systems are not penalising publishers for producing much needed coronavirus content.

Other financial measures are also available for freesheet publishers as part of our unprecedented package of support. These include the Business Interruption Loan, Job Retention Scheme, VAT and tax deferrals, and coverage of statutory sick pay costs.

The Government is clear that providing the public with reliable information on the current crisis is a priority and that newspapers provide one of the vehicles for achieving this. We will continue to review our response policies and engage actively with the sector throughout this challenging period.