As a government we are closely following trends in media consumption and are carefully considering the best route forward to safeguard public trust in our news media.

In the UK, there is a self-regulatory system for the press, which is independent from government. An independent press is important for press freedom and to ensure the public has access to accurate and trustworthy information from a range of different sources. However, with this freedom comes responsibility. We expect all publishers, both local and national, to operate within the bounds of the law and adhere to high ethical and professional standards, as well as ensure appropriate routes to redress if these standards are not met.

The majority of traditional publishers are members of IPSO. Some publishers have joined Impress, while others, including the Financial Times and the Guardian, have chosen to stay outside either regulator with their own detailed self-regulatory arrangements. These regulators enforce codes of conduct, for both print and online news publications, which provide guidelines on a range of areas including discrimination. If they find that a newspaper has broken the code of conduct, they can order corrections.

The Local Media Action Plan sets out our plans for a review of statutory notices, including a consultation on whether changes are needed to better ensure that communities have access to journalistic scrutiny of local decisionmaking.

Our review will take into account factors including the financial viability of local and regional newspapers, and will be informed by the following principles, that we:

• continue to drive transparency and accountability in local governance

• serve all audiences

• help ensure value for money to the local authorities and others required to publicise the information contained within statutory notices

• maintain a link to journalistic scrutiny

• foster innovation in the local media ecosystem and do not unfairly disadvantage local news outlets with a proven track record in public interest journalism regardless of whether they operate in print, online or both.

We will publish our planned timetable in the coming weeks.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 21 May 2026, Official Report, PQ 2387.

As a government we are closely following trends in media consumption and are carefully considering the best route forward to safeguard public trust in our news media.

In the UK, there is a self-regulatory system for the press, which is independent from government. This is important for press freedom and to ensure the public has access to accurate and trustworthy information from a range of different sources. However, with this freedom comes responsibility. We expect all publishers, both local and national, to operate within the bounds of the law and adhere to high ethical and professional standards, as well as ensure appropriate routes to redress if these standards are not met.

The majority of traditional publishers are members of IPSO. Some publishers have joined Impress, while others, including the Financial Times and the Guardian, have chosen to stay outside either regulator with their own detailed self-regulatory arrangements. These regulators enforce codes of conduct, for both print and online news publications, which provide guidelines on a range of areas including accuracy. If they find that a newspaper has broken the code of conduct, they can order corrections.

The Government committed to a review of statutory notices as part of the response to recommendations made by the Licensing policy taskforce in July 2025, including in relation to alcohol licence notices. The review is being taken forward as part of the Local Media Strategy to support local journalism.

We recognise that local press and statutory notices, including those relating to planning applications, continue to play a central role in keeping communities informed about decisions that affect local services and amenities. The industry’s Public Notice Portal is a welcome innovation, taking advantage of print publishers’ growing digital audiences and providing a centralised resource for all types of public notice. We welcome the Portal's expansion to include archive and consultation functions, helping public bodies and commercial entities engage with the public more effectively. DCMS is monitoring the progress of the Portal and the effect that it has on the audience reach of statutory notices and overall public engagement.

This type of industry innovation and collaboration is integral to securing the sector’s future and will be taken into account in the statutory notices review. The review will more broadly consider the potential merits of making changes to existing requirements to place statutory notices, including planning applications, in print local newspapers, as well as any potential role for online newspapers. More detail will be announced in due course, including timescales of the review and the wider Local Media Strategy.

UK newspapers at national and local level play an invaluable role in the fabric of our society and we are committed to supporting a free, sustainable and plural media landscape. Rapid recent developments in generative AI pose both significant risks and opportunities for news media, including with regard to the scraping of news articles for use in AI development.

We are engaging with press stakeholders on this. The Media Minister and the Technology Secretary each held roundtables earlier this year with publishers and broadcasters to discuss the impact of AI on journalism.

The Government intends to support our news media to capitalise on the huge potential benefits of the technology, while mitigating its risks. This includes with regard to our work to ensure a copyright framework which values and protects human creativity, can be trusted, and unlocks new opportunities for innovation across creative sectors, including news media, and the wider economy. A number of news media representatives are also involved in the Government’s Technical Working Groups established in November to consider this work in more detail.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (2024) gave new powers to the Competition and Markets Authority (the CMA) to both boost competition and innovation in the UK digital tech sector, and ensure the largest digital firms treat consumers and UK businesses fairly, including news publishers. The CMA concluded its first investigations in October 2025, designating Google with SMS in search, and both Apple and Google with SMS in mobile ecosystems. The CMA will now consult on conduct requirements which Google and Apple must adhere to. These conduct requirements will be based on fair dealing, open choices, and increasing trust and transparency.

The challenges of quantifying the value exchange between newspapers and online platforms have been explored by a number of studies, including the independent Cairncross Review into sustainable journalism and advice from the CMA and Ofcom on how a digital markets regime might govern the relationship between platforms and content providers such as news publishers.

Regardless of the exact transfer of value, the imbalanced commercial relationship between newspapers and online platforms has been raised as a key driver in the financial sustainability challenges facing news publishers in recent years. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (2024) gave new powers to the Competition and Markets Authority to boost competition in digital markets and help rebalance the relationship between online platforms and the businesses which rely on their services, including news publishers. The Government will continue to monitor this relationship and whether further action is required to ensure a level playing field with online platforms as AI and other new technologies continue to disrupt the market.

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