By Gabriel Princewill-
Newsquest titles and other local newspapers across the country are to run the same front page cover calling on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Business Secretary Peter Kyle to abandon proposals to shroud the sale of alcohol in local communities in secrecy, The Eye Of Media.COm has learnt. The government plans to remove the statutory requirement for alcohol licensing notices to be published in local newspapers.
As part of the ‘Defend Your Right to Know’ half wrap on October 30, hundreds of daily local titles set to follow suit on Monday (November 3), coinciding with the launch of Journalism Matters, the industry’s annual celebration of journalism. Many titles will also run homepage takeovers online. The joint front page is part of the local news sector’s campaign against government proposals to remove the statutory requirement for alcohol licensing notices to be published in local newspapers.
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The campaign has been integrated with the launch of Journalism Matters, the industry’s annual celebration of journalism.
The joint front page is part of the local news sector’s campaign against government proposals to remove the statutory requirement for alcohol licensing notices to be published in local newspapers.
The plans are part of a wider review of the licensing regime in England and Wales.
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The front page ad explains why the government’s plans risk shrouding local communities in secrecy and urges readers to respond to the licensing reform consultation, which closes at midday next Thursday (November 6).
Newsquest chief executive Henry Faure Walker(pictured) said: “Local papers are a crucial platform to ensure that local residents can easily see public notices, including alcohol licensing notices, in the highly trusted environment of independent local journalism.
“In addition to running in paper, the notices appear on local news websites and on the Public Notice Portal which has been developed with funding and expertise from the Google News Initiative. The notices are also often covered editorially by local journalists, ensuring even greater reach.
“As we approach
Jeremy Spooner, Baylis Community Media chief executive and chair of the News Media Association’s Independent Publishers Forum said: “Alcohol licensing notices are not red tape; they are a means for local communities to engage meaningfully with plans to sell alcohol in their local area.
“Removing alcohol licensing notices from local papers will do absolutely nothing to help either pubs or papers, instead it will deal a hammer blow to local democratic engagement, just at a time when government is seeking to decentralise power from Westminster.”
the start of this year’s Journalism Matters campaign, our clear message to Keir Starmer is to back local journalism by keeping alcohol licensing notices in local papers.”
News Media Association chief executive Owen Meredith added: “Axing alcohol licensing notices will not unlock growth or address any of the problems the government is trying to solve.
“Instead, it will create a whole lot more.
“This government should stand up for local communities and show support for pubs and papers by keeping these crucial alcohol licensing notices in local papers.”
Newsquest was founded in 1995 from a £210m management buyout of Reed Regional Newspapers and went on to acquire many local newspaper groups, including the large Westminster Press group in 1996. It was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1997 and then acquired by the American company Gannett in 1999. Its history includes Berrow’s Worcester Journal, first published in 1690 and claimed to be the world’s oldest surviving newspaper, which is now part of the Newsquest portfolio.
In 1996, Newsquest significantly expanded its size by acquiring the Westminster Press group from Pearson. Over the years, it has acquired numerous other newspaper and media groups.
Stock market listing: The company was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1997, with a market capitalization of £500 million at that time.
Acquisition by Gannett: In 1999, Newsquest was acquired by the US-based media company Gannett.
As of 2024, Newsquest remains a major publisher of local news brands in the UK and is still owned by Gannett. It acquired Archant Community Media Ltd in March 2022.
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