In a statement, King Charles called news media “an antidote to misinformation” and affirmed its importance to democracy.
The king was marking the 10th anniversary of the News Media Organisation (NMA), created in 2014 following the merger of the Newspaper Society and the Newspaper Publishers Association.
“I appreciate your thoughtful message as you celebrate your first decade, acknowledging the important role the NMA’s members play in underpinning democracy, holding power to account and serving as an antidote to misinformation,” he said.
Working on behalf of its national, regional and local news publishers, the NMA promotes the sustainability of news publishing and the defence and promotion of freedom of the press.
Analysis: Ongoing dispute
The role that news plays in misinformation and disinformation was once again under the spotlight last week. In its long-running dispute with the Australian government over removing news from its platforms, Meta called news “substitutable” and said it did not see news “as a way to minimise misinformation/disinformation on our services”.
The claims attracted criticisms from the Association of Online Publishers and Professional Publishers Association (PPA), since Meta moved to deprioritise news in the UK in 2023.
PPA CEO Sajeeda Merali also called news the “antidote to misinformation and disinformation”.
Publishers react to Meta’s ‘substitutable’ news claim
The Media Leader understands that the NMA has written to ministers in the newly formed Labour government in the past week to outline key actions it believes the government should take to support news journalism.
Ahead of the 4 July general election, the NMA released a manifesto outlining its five policy priorities for the new government, including on issues related to AI and intellectual property, press freedom, a new settlement between commercial news publishers and the BBC, and promoting media plurality and local news.
“As we look ahead to a new parliament and a new government, the NMA will continue to work to ensure news media publishers have both the freedom and the financial sustainability to continue to do what they do best — hold power to account, tell compelling stories and keep the nation informed and entertained,” said NMA chief executive Owen Meredith.
In the past year, the NMA helped campaign for the successful passage of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act and the Media Act, containing a provision section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act. Both were passed during the “wash-up” period before the previous government was dissolved in late May.
