Wiltshire Council has cut communication with a local independent newspaper.
The authority has stopped engaging with Melksham News, a free publication that is delivered to more than 13,000 homes every fortnight, despite its obvious reach in the community.
It’s believed the relationship ended after it questioned the council’s policy on public notice spending – which means only paid-for newspapers are given taxpayer cash to display notices.
Newsquest, which publishes the Wiltshire Times, receives a substantial amount of money but the current policy prevents Melksham News from receiving any funds or indeed, the notices.
Following the row, Wiltshire Council cut all communication with the independent paper – who think they just want favourable content published.
Wiltshire 999s understands that Melksham News was urged to adopt a more balanced reporting style – and was told that engagement will be halted until this is evidenced.
“Wiltshire Council’s decision to stop engaging with the Melksham News is deeply troubling,” said the newspaper’s operations manager, Joe McCann.
“Local newspapers like ours are essential for holding public bodies to account and ensuring transparency in local government.
“By cutting off communication, the council is evading scrutiny and potentially controlling the flow of information, which is not just a concern for us as journalists but for the public as well.
“This sets a dangerous precedent, where councils can silence critical voices instead of addressing legitimate concerns, ultimately undermining local democracy. This is an unprecedented move for a local council.”
Wiltshire councillor Jon Hubbard, who represents Melksham South, said he is “deeply concerned and disappointed” at the council’s decision to end engagement with the publication.
He added: “This kind of stance sets a dangerous precedent and threatens the principles of a free and independent press, which plays a vital role in holding local government to account.
“I sincerely hope that this decision is not politically motivated, as it would undermine the trust between the council and the residents it serves.
“The press should never be expected to tailor their coverage to meet the approval of those in power—it is their duty to provide fair and accurate reporting to the community.”
In a statement, council leader Richard Clewer said: “Wiltshire Council welcomes being held to account by the press and responds to over 1,400 media enquiries annually. We expect both positiveand negative coverage from the media and we welcome robust challenge.
“However, we also believe that it is important to provide a balanced picture in any coverage so both sides of any story can be covered fairly. In this case we are not being held to account fairly or reasonably.
“Wiltshire Publications has undertaken an ongoing campaign for over two years to put pressure on the council to advertise statutory notices with them. We have consistently provided the same answerto their queries and yet despite our clear communication that we will re-evaluate our approach following the Government’s review of relevant legislation, they continue to present a negative narrative – because we have chosen not to advertise with them.
“While it might cost less to place an advert in their publications, it would not save the council money and would be more expensive overall. We would still be required to advertise statutory notices in other publications to ensure we reach a wider audience and meet our legal obligations. This does not represent value for money for residents and would not lead to any cost savings for us.
“Their reporting has not been impartial, as it has failed to include balanced quotes from council representatives, which would have demonstrated that the picture they present does not tell the full story.
“Two of our councillors provided comments on their recent story and these comments were not included in the article because it did not fit with the narrative of the story; these comments would have given a more balanced view.
“Wiltshire Publications’ approach culminated in the council submitting a complaint to the editor urging them to adopt a more balanced reporting style.
“We advised we would not engage with Wiltshire Publications until we felt an effort was made to adopt a balanced position and requested they address these points with us.
“It is disappointing that rather than work with us they have chosen to publish a further article which again misrepresents our position.
“While we are not responding directly to them, they are still able to access our press releases which are published on our website and through our social media channels. However, we respect their right to take the approach they feel is most effective for them. At this time, we do not feel it would be appropriate to review our position.”
