The News Media Association is the voice of national, regional and local news media organisations in the UK – a £4 billion sector read by 47.2 million adults every month in print and online. The NMA was created by the merger of the Newspaper Society and the Newspaper Publishers Association in November 2014. Its services are under the control and guidance of its membership through its committee structure.
Serving the shared interests of news media publishers across the UK, the NMA seeks to protect the general interests of its members in all political, legal and regulatory matters. It promotes the efficacy of news brands in all their forms to government, regulatory authorities, industry bodies and other organisations whose work affects the industry.
The NMA acts as a source of information on industry issues of general concern to members, facilitating the sharing of best practice covering commercial, marketing, operational and technical issues throughout the membership. By joining, publishers support the NMA’s lobbying and member services.
Recent lobbying successes include:
Digital platforms: The NMA has successfully made the case for news publishers to be fairly rewarded for their investment in journalism leading to the establishment of the Digital Markets Unit to level the playing field between tech platforms and the publishers. In last year’s Queen’s Speech in May, the government published the draft Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill and in 2022, the Chancellor commited to bringing forward the legislation in the current parliamentary session. Further delay will be extremely damaging to the industry which, like many businesses from different sectors, faces a difficult year ahead in challenging economic conditions. The NMA will continue campaign for publishers to be fairly rewarded for their investment in journalism.
Online Safety Bill: The NMA has won amendments to this large piece of legislation which is designed to crack down on harms propagated by the tech platforms online to ensure that journalism is exempt from the new regime. It is clear the government’s intention is that content from recognised publishers – both news publishers and broadcasters – must sit firmly outside the regulatory scope of the new regime. The NMA will continue to campaign for the safeguards to be maintained as the Bill makes its passage through Parliament.
Repealing Section 40: The NMA has fought for the repeal of Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 and has secured Conservative Party manifesto commitments, and a commitment in the Queen’s Speech to do this in the forthcoming Media Bill.
Maintaining permits for newspaper deliverers: During the pandemic, the NMA secured young workers permits for the purposes of news deliveries, allowing the flow of vital news and information to the public.
Government advertising campaign: At the start of the pandemic, the NMA secured a government policy decision to support UK news publishers and communicate vital public health information by investing in a multi-million pound advertising partnership with the news media sector.
Securing key worker status for journalists: The NMA stressed to Government the importance of journalists and key support staff being able to move freely in the event of restrictions being introduced, securing key worker status from the start of the pandemic.
Member services
The NMA offers a range of services to its members covering a broad range of industry issues, from audience measurement to editorial press facilities, newsprint and the environment to newspaper distribution and technical matters.
Join today
If you’re a news media publisher based in the UK you may be eligible to join the NMA. By joining, you can help to support this vital work and access the many benefits NMA members enjoy. Contact the NMA team today to find out more about becoming a member: laura@newsmediauk.org.