Minister avoids group linked to activists encouraging boycott of centre-right media

Culture Minister Lucy Fraser says the government «does not support boycott or discrimination of any media for political reasons.» views' Photo: Pennsylvania/Lucy North

The secretary of culture promised ministers would not meet with a campaign group linked to activists orchestrating a boycott of the centre-right media following the Conservative MPs' uprising.

Lucy Fraser said the government «does not support a boycott or discrimination of any media based on political views.»

Her intervention came in a letter to Liz Truss after the former prime minister led almost 50 deputies -Conservatives and colleagues calling on Rishi Sunak to intervene after a consultation paper issued by the Ministry of Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) suggested that the Conscious Advertising Network (CAN) helped protect «brand safety».

The five biggest advertising companies in the UK are members of CAN, an organization that says it wants to break the «economic link» between advertising and «harmful content».

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In a letter to the Prime Minister, first reported by the paper last month, MPs called the mention of CAN «disturbing», adding: «We urge the government to distance itself from this group.»

Over the past 10 days, Ms. Fraser has held talks with some of the MPs who signed the letter. In an official response sent to Ms. Truss on Friday, Ms. Fraser stated: “I personally assure you that we will not meet with them and that their campaign you speak of will not have any impact on the operation of this program.

“People should have free access to information from a wide range of sources to form their own opinions, which is why I strongly believe that brands should be free to advertise in whatever media they wish.

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«I would like to make it absolutely clear that I do not support the boycott or discrimination of any media based on political views.»

Ms Frazier assured a group of Conservative MPs that she would not «support a boycott or discrimination against any media outlet based on political views.» Credit: AFP/Henry Nichols

CAN insists it has «never called for a boycott, either publicly or privately, or advised its members to boycott channels or platforms.»

CAN co-founder Jake Dubbins was an «unpaid advisor» to Stop Funding Hate, while fellow co-founder Harriet Kingaby previously served as director of Reliable Media, which created Stop Funding Heat, a climate change campaigning subsidiary.

Alex Murray, head of Can's advocacy, meanwhile served as a community organizer for Stop Funding Hate for four years. The «Stop Funding» hatred led to a boycott of news outlets such as the Daily Mail, Daily Express, Sun and GB News.

In a letter signed by Ms Truss, signed by 46 Conservative MPs and colleagues, including Dame Priti Patel , the former Home Secretary, claimed that CAN was using «the same insidious tactics as Stonewall.»

The letter added: «CAN was founded by members of the controversial Stop Funding Hate political campaign, and intimidates and intimidates companies into boycotting news outlets.

«This has a chilling effect on free speech and media pluralism. As more and more companies feel they have no choice but to kneel to CAN activists, we will be left with a media that does not reflect the diversity of views in modern Britain.

“Government intervention in the advertising industry”

DCMS cited CAN in an official advisory updated most recently in July, describing the campaign as «a mission to protect brand safety by ending advertising abuse and ensuring supply chain best practices are used.»

But Ms. Fraser assured that «neither I nor my department are affiliated with the Conscious Advertising Network and are not considering their initiatives.»

Harriet Kingaby and Jake Dubbins, CAN staff — the chairmen said that the organization is «a non-partisan, non-political network of 180+ advertisers, agencies and civil society groups.»

They accused Ms. Truss and others who signed a letter to Mr. Sunak last month of promoting «government interference in the advertising industry,» adding: «To advertisers should be allowed to make commercial decisions that contribute to the development of their brands and, by extension, the British economy. This means that hate content and disinformation, wherever directed, are not commercially attractive to many.