Negative and offensive media coverage

Unfortunately, there will probably be occasions where the media says something negative or inappropriate about one of your activists or candidates because of their identity. Some examples include: people being outed as LGBTI in the press without their consent, trans activists or candidates receiving online abuse because of their gender identity, racial stereotypes and assumptions, and the media’s obsession with what women politicians wear to work.

People from underrepresented groups have told us that they would be much more encouraged to stand as a candidate if they felt that their party would effectively support them if negative or offensive media coverage happened. Make sure you have a communications policy which clearly sets out what your approach would be in different circumstances. Your selection process should also include an opportunity for candidates to voluntarily disclose any welfare issues or aspects of their identity they feel could be negatively or offensively used by the press and discuss actions you would take to support them. It should be made clear to the candidate and the selection panel that this information should not inform decisions about whether the candidate is suitable to stand, but is about supporting and protecting candidates.

More information about selection processes can be found in the Selecting Candidates guidance of this tool.

We describe below some good practice in responding to the media.

How should you respond?

If you become aware of an unhelpful or offensive media story about one of your candidates, you should always discuss the situation with the candidate and talk to them about what they want to do. If, for instance, a journalist has used thoughtless language in their reporting, you and the candidate might feel that it isn’t appropriate to respond publicly. It could be more helpful for someone from the party to have a private discussion with the paper about why the language is inappropriate. Having a clear statement about your commitment to equality and diversity on your website can also be a helpful thing to point the public and the media to in these sorts of situations.

However, if the situation is more serious or the coverage deliberately offensive, you may want to respond directly to the media outlet. In your response, it is good practice to include:

• That abusive media coverage is unacceptable
• Your support for the candidate
• Your commitment to equality and diversity

Situations involving the media can be complex and there will probably be other actions you need to take which are specific to the situation and beyond the scope of this guide.

However, in all circumstances, the welfare of the candidate should be the most important thing. It is essential that they are involved in decisions about how to manage the situation and that they have somewhere safe to go, if for instance they are being harassed by journalists.

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