Carmichael: Government are short-changing local press

Alistair Carmichael

MP Alistair Carmichael has written to the government’s culture secretary about reports local press outlets are being “short-changed” by the government after supporting public health campaigns.

Mr Carmichael said that several press offices had contacted him to raise concerns that the government were cutting advertising rates after they had run public health adverts through their outlets.

He said that was making running the adverts a “loss-making exercise” for local press.

“It seems completely counterproductive to short-change our local press in this way, to the point where they are actually losing money by doing the right thing and supporting public health campaigns.

“The points I made to the government in April about the vital role that local press plays and the risks caused by the pandemic are as true today as they were then.

“The government says it wants to support local press – it can start by reversing this short-sighted, short-changing policy.”