Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Government Information Campaigns: Local Media

Thursday 8 December 2022 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government monitors the effectiveness of their communication campaigns.
  • The public trusts local media to spread government messages.
  • The Government considers including local online-only publishers in future campaigns.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 John Whittingdale Con Maldon
NHS Parliamentary Procedure
Context

The question arises from the need to assess how effectively government communications are reaching local audiences through various mediums.

Question

What recent assessment has been made of the effectiveness of Government information campaigns in local media?

Answer from Alex Burghart

The Government monitor the effectiveness of our communication campaigns. We recognise the enormous trust that the public have in local media and the important role that local media therefore play in spreading our messages. A recent press partnership on access to NHS services used local media to inform the public about where to seek medical advice, with 67% of readers expressing trust in these articles.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a specific assessment or detailed conclusions about the effectiveness of campaigns.

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Q2 John Whittingdale Con Maldon
NHS
Context

This question follows from the initial query and seeks to ensure that digital-only media outlets are also included in government communication efforts.

Question

My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the power of local media in getting vital health messages across, but will he look at ensuring that, as well as local print media, local online-only publishers such as Nub News are included in future campaigns?

Answer from Alex Burghart

I completely agree with my right hon. Friend, who knows a great deal about the subject. “All in, all together” harnessed the power of local media and was particularly effective in reaching specific audiences to spread vital information. We use OmniGOV for targeted approaches and any local outlet—online or otherwise—that wishes to be on the list can apply by contacting OmniGOV directly.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to including digital-only publishers without mentioning a specific process for inclusion.

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