{"id":12757,"date":"2023-05-28T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-27T23:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/?p=12757"},"modified":"2024-05-03T10:23:53","modified_gmt":"2024-05-03T09:23:53","slug":"joint-statement-on-media-coverage-charges-for-conservative-party-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/2023\/05\/28\/joint-statement-on-media-coverage-charges-for-conservative-party-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"Joint Statement on Media Coverage Charges For Conservative Party Autumn Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The News Media Association has issued a joint statement with other UK news media industry bodies objecting to media coverage charges for the Conservative Party Autumn Conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statement, coordinated by the News Media Association, Society of Editors, Foreign Press Association, and the News Media Coalition, called for the “draconian” charges to be dropped, warning that they could set a “concerning precedent in a democratic society”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statement reads: “A row has broken out between the Press and the Conservative Party over plans to charge for media attendance at the governing party\u2019s annual conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“National, regional and international newsrooms are refusing to sign up to the Conservative Party\u2019s Autumn Conference following the decision by the party to implement a fee for reporting on the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Editors regard the fee as draconian and counter to the Conservative party\u2019s claim to be a defender of press freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The decision, which has caused deep concern among a broad coalition of industry bodies including the News Media Association, Society of Editors, News Media Coalition and Foreign Press Association, comes ahead of the party\u2019s upcoming conference to be held in Manchester in the first week of October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The impasse follows a breakdown in communication after last year\u2019s conference where the charges were first introduced. No other political party in the UK charges for press accreditation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Normally hundreds of members of the Press attend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Industry representatives have challenged the fees, charged at \u00a3137 for each journalist\u2019s application, on the basis that any fee for media attendance at party conferences \u2013 regardless of the political party \u2013 sets a deeply concerning precedent in a democratic society. The decision by newsrooms to withhold booking for the event is also being supported by the Press Gallery of Westminster political correspondents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In a joint statement today (Sunday, 28th<\/sup> May, 2023), the coalition of industry bodies said: \u2018For more than a year, we have been seeking discussion with the Conservative Party to review these charges, as promised. This was to find an alternative solution to supposed concerns which the party seeks to address by charging the media for attendance \u2013 a decision which we are united in viewing as undemocratic and detrimental to the interests of society and the Party itself.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The joint statement added: \u2018In a democratic society, all party conferences are of considerable political and public importance and, as such, there should be no charging barrier for journalists to be able to act as the eyes and ears of the public by freely reporting at such events.  Through objective journalism, the conference also provides a window for the global community to see UK democracy in action.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Only last week (18\/05\/23), Lucy Frazer, Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) trumpeted<\/a> the way she said the government supports and champions press freedom at home and around the world. She told a major conference that growing Press Freedom was a priority of the UK government. \u2018If we want a thriving media sector in the future – our focus has to be on a free press and a press that is free to grow,\u2019 she said. \u2018As a government we are taking steps to increase press freedoms and make sure journalists can do their jobs effectively,\u2019 Frazer stressed when  speaking to delegates at the Enders Media & Telecoms Conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Conservative Campaign Headquarters has stated previously that the fee is to cover admin costs which have risen because, it says, the party receives numerous Press pass applications from journalists who do not then attend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In addressing this, the coalition of media organisation\u2019s statement adds: \u2018The issue of so-called no-shows is a factor experienced by all popular events of Press interest often due to changing daily news agendas. We have offered alternative ways to reduce the impact and cost of speculative applications, which have fallen on deaf ears. To live up to the Conservative Government’s mantra on press freedom, the accreditation fee for attending the conference must be scrapped’.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The News Media Association has issued a joint statement with other UK news media industry bodies objecting to media coverage charges for the Conservative Party Autumn Conference. The statement, coordinated by the News Media Association, Society of Editors, Foreign Press Association, and the News Media Coalition, called for the “draconian” charges to be dropped, warning […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":12083,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-pressfreedom","news","pressfreedom"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nJoint Statement on Media Coverage Charges For Conservative Party Autumn Conference - News Media Association<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/newsmediauk.org\/blog\/2023\/05\/28\/joint-statement-on-media-coverage-charges-for-conservative-party-conference\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Joint Statement on Media Coverage Charges For Conservative Party Autumn Conference - News Media Association\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The News Media Association has issued a joint statement with other UK news media industry bodies objecting to media coverage charges for the Conservative Party Autumn Conference. 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