A political lobbying firm has been exposed for secretly paying journalists to produce articles favourable to its clients, prompting condemnation from MPs, transparency campaigners, and industry bodies. The practice, revealed by a four-month Guardian investigation, has been described as an "attack on democracy" and has led to calls for an overhaul of lobbying regulations.
Undercover investigation uncovers cash-for-coverage scheme
The investigation involved an undercover reporter who posed as a freelance journalist. Lobbyists from CT Group, co-founded by election strategist Lynton Crosby, offered the reporter hundreds of pounds in cash incentives to place articles in national newspapers. They claimed to have previously paid journalists to publish apparently independent stories and said they would have increased editorial control over the content in exchange for payment.
CT Group, which has a turnover of £40 million a year, counts among its recent clients Philip Morris and the owner of Manchester City football club. The firm approached a freelance journalist offering to pay him to pitch a story about problems caused for the housebuilding industry by the Building Safety Regulator, established after the Grenfell Tower fire that killed 72 people.
Condemnation from MPs and industry leaders
Alastair McCapra, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, said: "Lobbyists paying journalists to produce apparently independent articles is an attack on the ethics of journalism, public relations and, indeed, on democracy." He noted that CT Group is not a member of his body and that the practices undermine the profession.
Jemimah Steinfeld, chief executive of Index on Censorship, called the practice "shortsighted and frankly dangerous" and urged CT Group to conduct an internal investigation. Steve Goodrich of Transparency International UK said the investigation "raises serious questions about the conduct of CT Group, and about how widespread these hidden arrangements are across the lobbying industry."
Liberal Democrat MP Luke Taylor, a member of the public administration and constitutional affairs committee, demanded "full transparency on when money has changed hands when it comes to reporting." Labour MP Sam Carling suggested that if such payments are widespread, the government should consider giving the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists regulatory powers. Labour MP Rupa Huq called lobbying "the wild west" due to lack of regulation.
CT Group responds
In a statement, CT Group said: "We do not comment publicly on work we do for clients and we therefore cannot respond to the specific allegations you have made." It claimed the events had been "deliberately mischaracterised" and that it had not engaged the undercover journalist or paid him anything, adding that the journalist "chased us relentlessly over a period of more than six months."
Impact on freelance journalism
The investigation also highlighted the vulnerability of freelance journalists, who often face irregular and low-paying work. Martin Bright, a senior lecturer in journalism at the University of Essex, said: "If reporters are being paid to place stories in papers by private companies this breaches the essential buffer zone between lobbying and journalism. The market is very tough for freelance journalists in the present media climate. They should never be exploited in this way."
