Statement from the Derry Journal

The Derry Journal has a decades-long track record of supporting fairness, equality and diversity in society - and we would like to respond directly to social media posts you may have seen that we refused to carry advertising in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

We understand feelings are running high over an incredibly important issue and we are concerned that these posts may have led to some upset, disappointment or misunderstandings among our readers and followers.

We were more than happy to carry the bulk of an advertisement which was sent to us and which contained information and views on the subjects of race equality and of events at BLM protests.

However as a result of routine checks our legal team advised us that a small amount of wording in the ad breached Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) regulations to which we, as the publisher, are legally accountable.

After this clear and unequivocal legal advice we had no choice but to request changes to the wording concerned.

We regret that our request for these changes led to a decision by the advertiser not to place the ad and we remain open to working with them to find a way to carry their ad without breaching advertising codes and therefore risking regulatory consequences, or even legal action, against us.

We hope this reassures readers that we remain a powerful and committed voice in support of diversity and equality.

Finally here is a link to the Derry Journal comment published on June 11 which strongly backs the outrage felt by BLM protestors and continues this newspaper’s proud tradition of standing up for victims of injustice.

www.derryjournal.com/news/opinion/columnists/derry-journal-editorial-black-lives-matter-scourge-racism-2881088?fbclid=IwAR19KVCh3CHBBBJoO9sVt54HwUbiEJi-6EITUlopN6KfXc4NQ1OhvB2L48k