THIS week, all our Newsquest titles have printed an open letter from local media publishers to party leaders Jeremy Corbyn, Boris Johnson and Jo Swinson.

We have been moved to act after finding election campaign material imitating local newspapers from the three major political parties had started to appear through people’s letterboxes.

We believe political parties passing off their fake newspaper propaganda as trusted local news is not only taking advantage of our highly trusted credentials but also actively undermining our business models. Editors across our group have called for this practice to stop before it further harms and undermines our democratic society.

During this election campaign, politicians and candidates from all parties have gone to great lengths to praise local media.

The local media’s role in investigative reporting, powerful campaigns and championing local communities has been applauded.

And it has been acknowledged that local news brands are an essential part of the democratic process by holding power to account and providing high-quality news.

It is widely known that the news media industry, particularly the local media sector, is facing significant challenges caused by changing news consumption habits and the dominance of tech in the digital advertising market.

So we hope readers can understand our amazement when the public started receiving election campaign material imitating local newspapers from the main political parties.

The News Media Association and its members are calling on all political parties to immediately end this damaging practice which harms and undermines our democratic society, and for those in power to help ensure the sustainable future of journalism.

You can read the open letter in full online at www.hexham-courant.co.uk.