The DWP has been silencing news stories that criticise its policies – here’s the proof

The DWP closely monitors media output, and compiles a “sentiment of articles” chart every month to make sure that they receive positive coverage.

The DWP closely monitors media output, and compiles a “sentiment of articles” chart every month to make sure that they receive positive coverage.

Ministers have been doing their best to pretend that they never do anything wrong – and have then done their best to hide the fact that this is what they’re doing.

Doesn’t that tell you everything you need to know about the DWP?

Officers for the Department claimed that the information was “commercially sensitive”, of all things.

That just leads one to ask why. What commercial contracts would this information prejudice?

Clearly the Information Commissioner was not convinced by whatever argument the DWP produced, because we have our information now.

This Blog is one of the social media sources that offers almost exclusively negative coverage of the Department for Work and Pensions, and it is interesting to note how the DWP treated one of my biggest stories.

In August 2015 the DWP “proactively briefed” the media about the long-awaited statistics which showed the amount of ESA claimants who had died after being found fit for work.

I had no way of knowing this at the time, but this action was successful in ‘spiking’ coverage in the FT (whose editors should have known better), the Express (this is more understandable) and on ITV.

The DWP’s commentary stated that the most critical initial coverage of the statistics misrepresented their details. This was because the DWP had done its best to present them in a manner that would be misunderstood. Still, it was able to secure corrections in the Grauniad and the Mirror which weakened the story.

We are left with a clear message: The DWP is more concerned with distorting the facts – or preventing them from being known at all – than with the facts themselves.

It does not matter to Conservative ministers that their policies have killed thousands of people.

They just want to make sure nobody finds out about it.

Following a 13 month battle, the DWP have finally been forced to release secret documents illustrating the tactics they use to control and manipulate the media.

The documents reveal that the DWP monitors and analyses both mainstream and social media to reduce and manage negative coverage.

And even more worryingly, the documents show the DWP have managed to kill hundreds of stories by making sure that they are not reported.

Almost every month since March 2014 the DWP communications team has produced “Media Evaluation Reports” detailing the ways and methods that the DWP controls negative stories about them in the media.

The reports give valuable insight into a department that is unhealthily focused on the press coverage [it receives].

The fact that they have managed to kill so many stories that they don’t approve of raises serious questions as to how the department is exercising its influence over the free press.

The role of journalism is to bring people the truth behind the DWP’s rhetoric, not to act as the chief mouthpiece for it.

Source: Secret DWP Documents Prove They Silenced The Media From Running Stories They Didn’t Approve Of | EvolvePolitics.com

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10 Comments

  1. John November 11, 2016 at 2:50 pm - Reply

    Not surprised in the least about this, but it does make me wonder why they bothered.
    Obviously they hadn’t planned on being found out anyway!
    Or am I missing the point?

  2. jeffrey davies November 11, 2016 at 2:59 pm - Reply

    just like that party back 34 were they burneed the books ouch aktion t4 rolling along without much of a ado

  3. Dez November 11, 2016 at 5:09 pm - Reply

    Totally agree. From my old days I recall how much these PR Consulants used to costs for their 24 hour coverage and tactical advice. So how is it the DWP has a very large budget solely for this damage limitation service. Who approves this budget and does each Department have one of its own or is it a centralised service for all Government departments to cover their backsides. Government departments are public servants for the population. I do not recall agreeing that my tax contributions are used for a cover up service purely to protect department failures especially those departments actually culling the aged, disabled and vulnerable. Where did the Cons open and transparent policy disappear to not that I ever saw it actually appear in the first instance.

    • Sanjit November 11, 2016 at 11:34 pm - Reply

      DWP communications team.

      Interestingly enough, the same tactics were (are) used by a well known British broadcaster, and it’s guttural counterpart a few decades ago. Knowing an event / news announcement was imminent gave the opposition a great advantage to structure a preemptive rebuttal or encourage self incrimination with resultant dismissal & subsequent ridicule. Counter intelligence is used by the DWP in the same manner, but the coin has two sides, as Murdoch found to his misfortune. As regards cost, this is possibly the most economically effective method of any propaganda unit.

  4. mohandeer November 11, 2016 at 6:29 pm - Reply

    “I had no way of knowing this at the time, but this action was successful in ‘spiking’ coverage in the FT (whose editors should have known better), the Express (this is more understandable) and on ITV.”
    Very “generous” comments.

  5. Sanjit November 11, 2016 at 11:43 pm - Reply

    Taking a second look at the graph, although the timeline is missing, it would seem reasonable to assume the graph was not drawn retrospectively. If not then forward planning (damage limitation) is evident.

  6. Harley November 12, 2016 at 10:59 am - Reply

    The DWP never admit to anything, not even the patently obvious. For example there are several FOI requests on the “What do they know” site asking whether welfare reform is one of the causes driving people to use food banks which always get answered in the same evasive manner, e.g., “… the reasons leading people to use food banks are complex… a committee looked into this matter… the welfare system is strong.” That is to say they won’t admit that welfare changes are a driver in respect to hunger and food bank use but don’t deny it either. They behave like criminals being questioned by the police, guarded and determined not to say anything which might incriminate them.

    Here’s a pending example:

    https://www.whatdothhttps://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/welfare_reform_and_food_bank_usaeyknow.com/request/welfare_reform_and_food_bank_usa

    I’m sure the above will eventually get the pat answer I described previously.

    Government departments should be forced to tell the truth when asked a question by any citizen. Or perhaps they don’t know the answer! Don’t know what’s going on!

    More likely is they do know the status quo but couldn’t care less.

    Has Lord David Freud ever backed down or ameliorated anything he has done as unelected Minister for Welfare Reform, even when the harm caused is indisputable and undeniable?

    I rest my case.

  7. NMac November 13, 2016 at 9:27 am - Reply

    I wonder how much public money they are spending on their efforts to censor and manipulate the press?

  8. Mr David Penson November 16, 2016 at 6:56 pm - Reply

    Somewhat less than they are Happy to Write off due to ” Provider” Fraud via their side kicks at the Skills Funding Agency I would imagine.
    Check out http://www.skillsfundingagency.co.uk and click on yearly accounts , there you will observe the obscene amounts of taxpayers cash simply written off due to Fraud by contractors to the Department of Work and Pensions or its providers as the Department prefers to call them , they even name and shame the worst six offending companies, and because the problem is now so wide spread it has raised the threshold to £300,000 of looses attributed to any one company before they have to obtain Ministerial Approval in writing those looses off in any one tax year. David Penson Bracknell Berkshire.

    • Mike Sivier November 17, 2016 at 11:50 am - Reply

      The link doesn’t work. Do you have a working one?

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