The NMA says that the Government’s ban on paid-for HFSS advertising online (see item below) is “a draconian measure which will harm news media publishers instead of the tackling the problem of childhood obesity”.

NMA legal, policy and regulatory affairs director Sayra Tekin said that the NMA is “very disappointed” at the Government’s announcement as “the evidence does not demonstrate a compelling causal link between advertising exposure and childhood obesity”. Ms Tekin said that news publishers do not target their publications at children, “so it is disproportionate for them to be in scope of the online ban”. In the NMA’s view, news publishers are “collateral damage in a policy designed to target platforms”. The policy will harm news media publishers who rely on advertising revenue to “fund the journalism which keeps us all informed”. The NMA urged the Government to reconsider and work with the industry to “come up with a workable solution instead of implementing these ill-considered measures”. To read the NMA’s press release in full, click here.