Protest on Political Party Fees on Journalism Creates Stir Around the World

Dozens of news publications and many democracy groups have carried reports of the UK Conservative party’s imposition of a fee for journalists to cover their conference this year. These featured the decision of editors and news businesses to refrain from applying for press passes for the governing party’s big event in Manchester, England in October.

News reports and political commentary in print and online and by broadcasters resulted from news industry groups releasing a joint statement {link) protesting the charge and seeking talks with party officials to find an alternative to the so-called ‘tax on reporting’.

Reports on this media freedom issue were seen in numerous countries including France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina as well as the UK and additionally on many international news sites such as Yahoo.

English

Fury as journalists are to be charged £137 each to attend Conservative Party conference in Manchester: Fees are branded ‘undemocratic’	Daily Mail	Link
Publishers and editors call on Conservative Party to scrap conference fees	Evening Standard	Link
Publishers and Editors refusing to sign up to Conservative Party Conference in ‘draconian’ fees row	Foreign Press Association (FPA)	Link
“Tory Party Conference Faces Media Boycott Due to Attendance Fee Demands”	Global Village Space	Link
Publishers and editors call on Conservative Party to scrap conference fees	Guernsey Press	Link
Newsrooms threaten to boycott Tory Conference over fees	HoldTheFrontPage.co.uk	Link
Publishers and editors call on Conservative Party to scrap conference fees	Independent	Link
News media in stand-off with Tories over ‘undemocratic’ fees for journalists to attend Conservative conference	Inews.co.uk	Link
News media in stand-off with Tories over ‘undemocratic’ fees for journalists to attend Conservative conference	MSN	Link
The Conservatives are charging journalists to attend their party conference – and it’s not on	NationalWorld	Link
Publishers and editors call on Conservative Party to scrap conference fees	News & Star	Link
Joint Statement on Media Coverage Charges For Conservative Party Autumn Conference	News Media Association (NMA)	Link
Publishers and Editors refusing to sign up to Conservative Party Conference in ‘draconian’ fees row	News Media Coalition (NMC)	Link
Publishers and Editors refusing to sign up to Conservative Party Conference in ‘draconian’ fees row	Society of Editors (SoE)	Link
Media shuns Tory party conference over demands for attendance fee	The Guardian	Link
U.K. journalists to boycott Tory conference over fees	The Hindu	Link
Journalists condemn media entrance fee for Tory party conference	The National	Link
Reporters charged £137 to cover Conservative Party conference	The Times	Link
UK Conservatives Under Fire for Demanding Media Payment for Conference Coverage	WaxMia	Link
Publishers and editors call on Conservative Party to scrap conference fees	Yahoo (Uk.News)	Link

Spanish


La prensa en Reino Unido denuncia que el Partido Conservador cobre por cubrir su congreso	Agencia EFE	Link
La prensa en Reino Unido denuncia que el Partido Conservador cobre por cubrir su congreso	El Diario	Link
Partido conservador británico es señalado por cobros para cubrir su trabajo	El Espectador	Link
Partido conservador británico es señalado por cobros para cubrir su trabajo	Head Topics	Link
La Prensa en Reino Unido denuncia que el Partido Conservador cobre port cubrir su congreso	InfoBae	Link
La prensa en Reino Unido denuncia que el Partido Conservador cobre por cubrir su congreso	La Visión	Link
Reino Unido: Prensa denuncia que el Partido Conservador cobre por cubrir su congreso	Lado.Mx	Link
La prensa en Reino Unido denuncia que el Partido Conservador cobre por cubrir su congreso	Lavozdelquequen	Link
La Prensa en Reino Unido denuncia que el Partido Conservador cobre por cubrir su congreso	QuePasa	Link
La prensa en Reino Unido denuncia que el Partido Conservador cobre por cubrir su congreso	Swi – swissinfo.ch	Link
Los medios del Reino Unido denuncian las tarifas ‘draconianas’ por la cobertura de la conferencia del Partido Conservado	Titulares.ar	Link