Britons 'will be forced to read woke lefty news' under Labour plans to promote 'trusted sources'

Labour's plans to force social media platforms to promote "trusted and accurate" news outlets such as the BBC has sparked concerns they may be forced to promote “woke or lefty” stories.

On Monday, the Government published its "Watch this Space: A new strategic direction for UK media" Green Paper.

The document sets out plans to ensure social media companies and video-sharing platforms prioritise content from "public service" media (PSM), which includes the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.

The move would see mainstream media outlets pushed to the top of people's social media feeds when they search for news stories - even if they don't want to read them.

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The Government has claimed the increased use of social media to access news may mean the public consumes "misinformation" - rather than state-approved PSM.

But Shadow Culture Secretary Nigel Huddleston has now questioned how "trustworthy" outlets will be decided, and warns the plans could lead to bias when it comes to which stories are pushed.

He told The Times: “The proposals [are] well intended, especially in an age where there is undeniably so much misinformation online.

"But a requirement... to make such broadcasters' content prominent is problematic for the obvious reason that their content is not always to be trusted or unbiased, either.

“Many people question the BBC’s coverage of politics in general, of trans rights, of Israel.

“There may be plenty of people who like the idea of legislation to push woke or lefty content online.

"I am not one of them, and there are many people who agree with me.”

But Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy rubbished the Tory MP's fears and insisted fairness was central to the Government's Green Paper.

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She said: “This really is one of the most challenging aspects of the consultation that we’ve put out - who decides what is trustworthy news, how we decide what is trustworthy news.

“The definition of public service broadcasting is set out in law, but trustworthy news is a separate matter, and this is precisely why we have asked the question.”

Ms Nandy rejected criticisms aimed at the BBC, insisting the public broadcaster remains "the most trustworthy source of news, not just in this country, but across the world".

“So I think we should be careful about not trashing the BBC," she added.

News Media Association chief executive Theo Bamber warned that any decisions surrounding the visibility of news stories must support a healthy media landscape.

He told The Times: “While we support the Government’s intentions in wanting to get people to access trusted news, the method they are proposing here risks obscuring the high quality, agenda-setting journalism produced everyday by the UK’s independent news publishers and narrowing the range of trusted voices available to people across the country."

The plans come amid a major overhaul to Britain’s public service broadcaster, which may see reforms to help providers attract audiences online.

As she unveiled the Green Paper earlier this week, Ms Nandy said: “It is vital that we make sure that people have better access to trusted and accurate news and that our regulated public service media is seen and heard in the fierce battle against mis and disinformation.

“As the media landscape moves further and further online, away from traditional broadcasting, we must act so that our world-leading TV sector continues to thrive and top quality UK content keeps being produced.

“TV remains at the heart of our society. It is key to supporting social cohesion and is a cornerstone of our democracy, which is why, as the technology underpinning it changes, we are making sure it is protected for generations to come.”

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