View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Comment
April 13, 2015updated 15 Apr 2015 6:43pm

David Cameron snubs Huddersfield daily on ‘carefully staged’ visit to factory

By Dominic Ponsford

There was more evidence the extent to which journalists feel frozen out of a stage-managed election campaign as David Cameron snubbed the Huddersfield Daily Examiner  on a trip to a factory in Meltham.

Daily Mail columnist Stephen Glover has already complained that national press journalists are being excluded from election visits aimed at broadcasters organised by Labour and the Conservatives.

It has also been noted that daily election press conferences appear to have become a thing of the past.

Huddersfield Daily Examiner reporter Joanne Douglas reported being excluded from Cameron’s factory tour, held to trumpet plans for more apprenticeships.

She wrote: “Such visits are staged so carefully by all parties, but I can't tell you all that much about yesterday's tour by Mr Cameron.

“I wasn't actually allowed to follow him around the factory as he delivered this good news story; the privilege of knowing what he did went to my colleagues in the national media.

“For a while I thought my report would be limited to a list of what biscuits I ate in a side room, hidden away from the action, with other local media.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

“The Examiner did, however, manage to get our photographer, Andy Catchpool, on the tour.

“But even Andy found himself on the wrong end of a Tory spin doctor when he tried to take a photo of Mr Cameron leaving the factory. There was an exchange of words and no photo.”

Eventually she was granted one minute of questions with Cameron.

Labour and the Conservatives may fear waspish commentary from the opinionated nationals. But snubbing local media smacks of incompetence.

In contrast with many national newspapers, the local media tends to make efforts to be scrupulously fair and balanced in its election coverage.

The Huddersfield Daily Examiner has 15,000 print sales a day and 45,000 daily online browsers. In a seat where Labour is defending a majority of under 5,000 against the Conservatives, you would think that might be an audience worth addressing for Cameron.

David Cameron pictured on a visit to Dawlish in Devon, credit: Reuters.

 

Topics in this article : ,

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network