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Gay Times hit by diversity backlash | Prince Harry vs Mail witness payments
And your news diary for the week ahead includes the sentencing of the Sycamore Gap tree killers
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Welcome to your daily Press Gazette media briefing on Monday, 14 July.
There is a darker side to the current advertiser retreat from news revealed by the experience of Gay Times.
Chief executive Tag Warner told Press Gazette how the publisher has lost 80% of its advertisers over the last year amid what he described as a “backlash” against diversity.
Given the overall UK online advertising market grew at a healthy clip last year, he said there is no business case for the move. Instead, he blamed “good old-fashioned discrimination”.
Like many other publishers, Gay Times is now looking more to reader revenue and has come up with a novel approach - selling shares in the business via a community investment initiative. We have the full story here.
It is mainly related to disclosure. Associated has been asked to remove some redactions from documents which will shed more light on the 82 journalists and executives accused of involvement in illegal newsgathering over a period of 25 years.
Lawyers for Harry, Baroness Lawrence, Elizabeth Hurley, Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Sir Simon Hughes and Sadie Frost Law have meanwhile been asked to shed more light on payments made to witnesses for information.
The late Max Mosley devoted a significant amount of his huge family fortune to funding his crusade against tabloid intrusion.
This included payments to private investigators and others formally involved in illegal tabloid newsgathering to persuade them to blow the whistle on phone-hacking and other misbehaviour.
The Mail believes payments and other inducements are behind evidence gathered from former private investigators which form much of the case against it. Lawyers for the publisher hope further disclosures from the Prince Harry “research team” will reveal whether evidence is tarnished by these payments and if some claims can be ruled out over time limitations.
And we have your news diary for the week ahead which includes the Mansion House speech from embattled Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Tuesday. We will find out the same day whether the death penalty will be brought back for the two men who felled a beloved tree on Hadrian’s Wall.
On Press Gazette
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Prince Harry lawyers told to disclose details of payments to witnesses in Mail trial
“The stance adopted by the claimants has been undermined by their inconsistent and incoherent approach to disclosure of documents relating to payments to potential witnesses and/or other inducements.”
Gay Times raises £150k from supporters after advertiser diversity backlash
CEO Tag Warner said advertising began to fall off months before Donald Trump’s election in November last year. It started in the US, a large market for Gay Times, before also hitting in the UK.
News diary 14-20 July: MP in court on sexual assault charges, BBC Proms, Sycamore Gap sentencing
A look ahead at the key events leading the news agenda next week, from the team at Foresight News.
News in brief
Fox News advertising is booming thanks to record audience numbers and an influential White House audience, FT reports. This contrasts with many news websites which are reporting that advertisers are avoiding appearing next to news about Donald Trump. (FT)
GB News says its new US programme will be called The Late Show Live and will be broadcast from Washington every day at midnight for two hours hosted by Bev Turner. (Background from Press Gazette here)
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