Should we take political party advertising? Your thoughts please...

[JustineMumsnet]

Hello, Hello,
Following on from this thread I wanted to get your thoughts on the issue of political parties or other pressure groups advertising with us.

At the moment the list of advertisers/ types of ads we don't take (on the basis that they don't sit well with our site aim - to make parents' lives easier - and as agreed in concert with users over the years) is as follows:

Payday loans
Follow-on/formula milk
Baby food marketed to age under six months
Gambling
Cosmetic surgery
Nestle (formula milk marketing in dev world)
Publications, eg The Sun, Nuts and Zoo, which objectify women
Porn
Sex shops
Seaworld

Last election we ran ads from both Labour and the Tories - this time we've only been approached by Labour thus far.

Do let us know what you think.

Thanks so much.

But if you allow some parties and not others, even if they're the BNP, then you are part of the "problem" IMO. Don't do that. All or nothing!

I think it's fine tbh. Ads for political parties are paid for not swapped for mass voting

No - I don't think you should, although I see diappointingly from the lovely Labour ad banner at the top of my page that you have already made the decision.
I was going to try & contact you to comment complainabout this but thought I'd check the MNHQ stuff.

Personally I don't think that it's a good thing to accept political advertising, MN has a lot of clout with many many people. Having party reps/ leaders on for webchats is different I feel, it at least gives people an opportunity to see what they have to say rather than just seeing a one message ad.

All parties or none. Preferably none, but as revenue keeps MN in business it's understandable why you would take their money.

Seaworld? Why?

As for the political parties, I would rather not see their ads and for mumsnet to remain neutral. But I realise advertising money pays the bills and I don't feel that strongly about it tbh.

There will still be advertisers, Neme - and who knows but that having MN as a PPA-free zone might actually attract more people to it? (Or at least not drive people away. )

Yes, I think it would be OK. If you ran a UKIP ad there would be such a slew of anti threads it would be an own goal for them.

Simple answer - no. Because is will be an utter nightmare staying non-partisan.

TBH i'm not entirely impressed with your Non Formula milk policy. You advertise other arguably pointless baby products that some people consider life savers.

No.

It should be open to all or none.

you can't say some are OK but the BNP isn't.

Yes. Take their money.

Is there anyone on here who would be swayed by a UKIP advert? I doubt it. I also don't think UKIP would advertise on Mumsnet cause they know the response would be a slew of negative threads, as Countess said.

You can say some are ok but UKIP/BNP aren't. Because they aren't.

But it's probably best to say no to political advertising purely in the basis that it will irritate users who don't vote for those parties, and you'll lose posters while you run the adverts.

I think it would be fine as long as it had a border round it (or summat) saying 'advert paid by for whatever party'.

This kind of upfront advertising is better than polititrolls posting all over the place getting people to discuss particular issues, which I'm sure all theparties already do and about which you can do nothing.

Plant
They should get OliviaMN to state if she's approved this ad.

(Joke only funny to fellow West Wing fans)

No

I think the site has pretty much given itself over to being left leaning. Not sure how this happened or why (might be because lots of people on here want that ) - which is fair - But - I think that if you want a site where people can talk openly then this is not it . But that's ok. I think otherwise Mnet should adhere to the far side of the most strict political advertising rules and even further so if e.g. lib dems and labour want to advertise then don't let them unless the tories are allowed a similar slot. I acknowledge that this won't work without taking the Greens etc into account - but I am increasingly uncomfortable with this site as an unbiased discussion forum.

I don't care really.

I'd be ok with political party ads, but only on the Politics board, perhaps slightly oddly. Agree with the earlier poster about 'polititrolls' already on here trying to drum up support for their parties. Webchats would be better.

Surely this'll all be a bit redundant by the end of today anyway?

"Surely this'll all be a bit redundant by the end of today anyway?"

You optimist!

We could be doing this all over again in a few weeks if no-one can form a functioning government.

I think a lot of mumsnet members forgot the site is a business. Maybe everyone would like to start paying to use it?

Say yes to all or none. I don't care

Personally I find the pretend facebook banners far more irritating

I think anyone who can't tell an ad versus your endorsement of a party needs to wake up and have another

think Mn would be hard pressed to explain to parties why leaders should do webchats yet get all pearl clutchy about political adverts

I'm not a Tory but still didn't like to see the labour ad.

We have plenty of politics threads for party activists to target and troll so I don't think any of them need straight ads.

Badgers

I think MN simply extend an invitation to people to do webchats - not every party took them up on it.