Ministers talking to tech bosses about giving local media a 'fair hearing online'

Ministers are in talks with tech leaders about how to give local media a "fair hearing online", Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has said.

Speaking at a fringe event during the Labour Party conference, the cabinet minister said companies like Google often don't promote regional news on the same scale as content from large outlets.

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She said local media needs to be "protected", as it is often the best tool for countering disinformation and ensuring community cohesion.

Ms Nandy pointed to the coverage of the summer riots, saying that while the national news "told the story about violence", the local papers did "something very different", covering counter-protests like "nans against Nazis, Wigan against Muppets, Love Pies Hate Racism".

"Local journalists are often first on the scene to tackle disinformation," Ms Nandy said.

"One of the things I have kicked off is a local and regional news strategy. We have got to make sure local media is protected."

Ms Nandy said that did not mean telling the media "what they can and can't do", but rather making sure there is an environment where "good journalism can thrive".

She added: "We are looking at how we make sure local and regional media gets a fair hearing online. Google often doesn't promote that content the way they do others, they need a fair playing field. We are talking to industry about it."

In response to a question from the audience, Ms Nandy went on to say the government won't follow in the footsteps of Brazil and ban X, formerly Twitter.

But she revealed her campaign manager deleted it from her phone during her party leadership bid in 2020, and she was "a lot calmer for it".

Social media platforms came under fire after rioting broke out in response to the stabbing of three young girls in Southport last month. Misinformation claiming the attacker was an asylum seeker fuelled some of the unrest.

During the fringe event, Ms Nandy spoke about how in her constituency of Wigan there is a "history of far-right idiots trying to stir up trouble".

She revealed how, in response to the disorder over the summer, she "hit the phone" and called up local sports clubs and religious leaders who she usually reaches for "when the embers of discontent crackle".

She said they were able to offer sermons on tolerance and diversity and organise stand up to racism protests.

She said: "I think it helped. What we managed to do... was provide something around which the decent majority could coalesce."

However, she said she is "not under any illusions that by ending that outpouring of violence we solved the problem", and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is "working day and night" on the issue.

Elsewhere during the discussion, Ms Nandy said she is "living her best life" as culture secretary, revealing she will be DJing "Britney hour" at the Labour students' disco event during the party conference, in honour of her pop icon Britney Spears.