Theresa May: BBC is destroying local papers

Home Secretary Theresa May today claimed the BBC was “destroying local newspapers” and harming democracy.

Ms May accused the corporation of using licence fee money to dominate local online news coverage, leaving regional papers unable to compete.

She said the papers were critical to holding politicians to account and warned the BBC to “think carefully” about its actions. It came as former BBC chairman Lord Grade said today that the Government’s plan for press regulation would also damage papers, branding the proposals “bonkers” and a “dangerous step”.

In a speech to the Society of Editors Ms May said: “[Local papers’ difficulties have] partly been the result of the BBC’s dominant position on the internet and its ability to subsidise the provision of internet news using the licence fee.

“This makes it enormously difficult for local newspapers to compete.”

She added: “It’s destroying local newspapers and could eventually happen to national newspapers.”

Ms May said it was essential to have a range of news to avoid the country being left with a narrow interpretation of events. She added: “This is a debate that won’t go away and I believe the BBC has to think carefully about its presence locally and the impact it has on local democracy.”

The Home Secretary went on to say she believed in a free press and denied politicians would use the new Royal Charter on press regulation to censor papers.

But in his speech Tory peer Lord Grade said: “It enshrines the principle that Parliament has the right — however remotely — to intervene in the regulation of the press. And that to me is a red line.”