BRITAIN’S most senior editors today vowed to “name and shame” election candidates who disguise campaign ads as newspapers.
Wannabe MPs are known to print fake newspapers to promote themselves ahead of polling day.
AlamyElection candidates who disguise campaign ads as newspapers will be named and shamed by UK’s most senior editors[/caption]
The campaign materials, which are stuffed into letterboxes, can easily be mistaken for independent reporting.
But really they are party-political ads.
The Lib Dems came under fire in recent weeks for distributing pretend papers including the “Hallamshire Herald” in Sheffield and the “Wokingham Focus” in Berkshire.
The Tories were slammed last year for using the name of the now-defunct “Lincoln Chronicle” to promote the party in Lincoln.
Ahead of an anticipated showdown election in November, Dawn Alford, Executive Director of the Society of Editors, said: “The Society of Editors has long campaigned against political parties using fake newspapers to promote their candidates in election periods.
“Not only does this absurd practice damage democracy and undermine public trust in both politics and the news media, but it is also insulting to the electorate who are not stupid and expect officials and candidates to communicate with them in an open and transparent manner.
“Instead of employing vast time and effort into brazen deception, parties should instead look to highlight and promote the work of the actual local press as a trusted source of news and information to the public.”
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