The Evening Standard has secretly agreed a £3 million deal with companies, including Uber and Google, to provide them with “favourable” news coverage, without telling readers. opendemocracy.net/uk/james-cusic… 
Heard rumours a while back from other journalists that this sort of thing was happening at the Standard. Didn’t realise it was anywhere near this bad.
If this sort of thing was found to be happening in any other industry aside from the press then Fleet Street would have a field day. Will be interesting to see how this is covered.
Labour source: “It looks like Osborne wants the Standard to be a corporate fake news factory. What a sad case of cash for column inches."
One former Standard journalist tells me: “this is the exact kind of reason I escaped... diabolical”
Another former Standard journalist tells me these sort of deals have been going on “in less brazen form” for years at the paper.
Was just on LBC talking about this. In any other industry there would be major repercussions if something like this was revealed. Fear of former Standard journalists I’ve spoken to tonight is that the press will just hush this up.
The Standard denies intending to mislead readers about their paid-for coverage deal with Uber and others. thedrum.com/news/2018/05/3…
Was just on BBC London talking about the Evening Standard paid-for coverage allegations. Interesting that the paper now seems to be denying things that aren't even alleged. Some more here from back in February on the sort of deals now happening over there: opendemocracy.net/james-cusick-c…
Update: Not a single newspaper has covered it.
Actually there’s one news story behind the Times paywall as it turns out so credit to them. thetimes.co.uk/article/osborn…
