Editors have vowed to “name and shame” political parties who use campaign material disguised as local newspapers during this year’s elections.

With local elections in May and a general election expected later in the year, the use of fake newspapers to distribute party political progaganda has become a key issue for industry leaders.

HTFP has repeatedly exposed the use of the tactic, most recently by the Liberal Democrats in Sheffield and Berkshire and last year by the Tories in Lincoln, when they resurrected the name of an actual defunct title, the Lincoln Chronicle.

Now the Society of Editors has written to all political parties asking them to put a stop to what it called the “brazen deception” of voters.

The ‘Stroud, Valleys and Vale Chronicle’ – one of the fake newspapers produced last year by the Tory Party

The issue of fake newspapers and political reporting ahead of the general election will also be one of the main agenda items at the Society’s upcoming 25th anniversary conference taking place in London on 30 April.

Its executive director Dawn Alford said: “The Society of Editors has long campaigned against political parties using fake newspapers to promote their candidates in election periods.

“Not only does this absurd practice damage democracy and undermine public trust in both politics and the news media, but it is also insulting to the electorate who are not stupid and expect officials and candidates to communicate with them in an open and transparent manner.

“Ahead of elections later this year including a general election, we have written to representatives of all political parties urging them to put an end to this mimicry as well as vowing to name and shame those who continue to attempt to pull the wool over voters’ eyes. ”

Added Dawn:  “The news media plays a vital role in a democracy, and, during election periods, journalists are essential in helping to communicate party policies to the public.

“Instead of employing vast time and effort into brazen deception, parties should instead look to highlight and promote the work of the actual local press as a trusted source of news and information to the public.”

During the last election, in 2019, Newsquest editorial director Toby Granville threatened not to publish Liberal Democrat campaign news in the group’s titles if the party persisted with publishing fake local papers.

The Conservatives also found themselves in hot water last year after circulating pamphlets under the titles of the Wolverhampton Chronicle, Sandwell Chronicle and Dudley Chronicle.

The names used by the Tories are actually real free newspapers published by the Midland News Association – now part of National World – distributed across parts of the West Midlands under the title Chronicle Week.

The Tories were subsequently forced to issue an unreserved apology to the MNA and to provide a donation to charity.

In a separate incident, also last year, independent publisher Quest Media demanded an apology from Robert Largan, Conservative MP for Derbyshire’s High Peak constituency, after he circulated a campaign pamphlet under the name of a defunct title called the High Peak Reporter.

Quest, whose titles inlude the Tameside Reporter, Glossop Chronicle and Oldham Reporter, owns the IP rights to the name High Peak Reporter which circulated from 1887 to 1998.