View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
March 16, 2007updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

Jenkins levels “sleaze” charge at Guardian over sponsored supplement

By Press Gazette

Former Times editor turned Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins today accused his own paper of taking government money to portray "public relations as journalism".

He was referring to an eight-page supplement which appeared inside Society Guardian on Wednesday – Promised Lands.

Although not labelled as advertising or advertorial – Jenkins reveals in is Guardian column that the supplement was paid for by the Housing Market Renewal Partnerships "which agreed the synopsis – to boost the controversial Pathfinder housing policy."

He said: "In return for a large sum of money, the agency was offered pre-sight of the copy to ‘correct inaccuracies'. In effect, it secured sympathetic coverage. None of the writers (nor the Guardian's readers) was told of this, or that their fees were being paid, in effect, by the Blair government. Some were given to understand that they were writing for the Observer."

The supplement focussed on the Pathfinder housing clearance projects in the Midlands and north of England. Under the title Promised Lands on the front page is the slogan "Pathfinders rebuilding scattered economies."

But as Jenkins explains – the Pathfinder scheme, involving the wholesale demolition of streets of terraced housing, has been controversial. Many residents would rather stay in their Victorian terraced homes and refurbish them.

Jenkins says that "agents" of Housing Minister Yvette Cooper "have already been ‘buying' interviews on local radio stations to exclude local protesters. They have now bought a national newspaper."

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

He adds: "That taxpayers' money is used to further the interests of private developers against local homeowners is bad enough. That such money should be spent inducing newspapers to dress public relations as journalism in a ministerial spat with the Treasury is close to sleaze.

"Another battle will be joined next week in a Guardian supplement paid for by the pro-sprawl government planners of the Commission for Rural Communities. I guarantee that no contribution from the Campaign to Protect Rural England will be included. I wonder why."

Today The Guardian issued a statement in which it said that the paper clearly labelled Wednesday's Promised Lands section as a sponsored supplement. "In common with most newspapers, publishes sponsored supplements which are labelled and designed as such," it said. "Wednesday's supplement included on its front page a panel which stated that it was produced in association with Housing Market Renewal Partnerships. Simon Jenkins's piece was a robust statement of his views, in the long tradition of the Guardian allowing its columnists a free rein.

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