News Media Association

The News Media Association is a trade body which styles itself as "the voice of national, regional and local news media organisations in the UK". It was created in 2014 by a merger between the Newspaper Society and the Newspaper Publishers' Association. The Newspaper Society, which represented local papers in the United Kingdom, was founded in 1836 and the Newspaper Publishers' Association, which represented national publishers, in 1904.^[1] The current chief executive is Owen Meredith.

The NMA promotes the interests of news media publishers to government, regulatory authorities, industry bodies and other organisations whose work affects the industry. Members include The Sun, The Guardian, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Yorkshire Post, Kent Messenger, Monmouthshire Beacon and the Manchester Evening News.^[2] The organisation represents digital as well as print based media. It supports the Independent Publishers' Forum.^[3]

The NMA's policy focuses on sustaining the news media sector as well as safeguarding press freedom in the UK. Current policy objectives include the introduction of short-term measures to support local news media's transition to a sustainable digital-first business model, as well as campaigning for the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill to be enacted without delay so as to give the Digital Markets Unit the powers it needs to tackle the structural problems caused by the tech platforms in the digital marketplace and bring about real reform to promote genuine competition.

David Newell, former NMA CEO, was appointed an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours in June 2017 for services to the newspaper and publishing industries.^[4]

In April 2020, the NMA announced it would be partnering with the Government on "a three-month advertising partnership to help keep the public safe and the nation united throughout the Covid-19 pandemic".^[5][6]

References

1. "178 years on, Newspaper Society drops the word 'newspaper' from its title in merger with NPA". Press Gazette. 10 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
2. Rasaiah, Santha (6 September 2018). "Tackling the Threat to High-Quality Journalism in the UKNMA Response to Cairncross Review Call for Evidence" (PDF).
3. "New trade body for publishers of national, regional and local newspapers". Guardian. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
4. "News Media Association chief executive David Newell awarded OBE". Press Gazette. 2017-06-19. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
5. "Government Partners With Newspaper Industry On Covid-19 Ad Campaign". News Media Association. 2020-04-17. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
6. "Weekly News Publishers Run Government Ad Campaign". News Media Association. 2020-04-23. Retrieved 2020-04-28.