Petition · past parliament
Make fake news reporting by the media a criminal offence.
Closed
14 signatures
What the petition asks
Fake news stories should never make it to broadcast status or be publicised.
All corporate media outlets whether broadcast news or printed should have to verify, validate and publicise their sources for reports or face criminal charges and heavy financial penalties for disseminating fake news.
All corporate media outlets whether broadcast news or printed should have to verify, validate and publicise their sources for reports or face criminal charges and heavy financial penalties for disseminating fake news.
Fake news is a scourge and has been for some considerable time.
It creates distrust of information that is supposed to inform the public.
News media outlets are no longer reliable sources of unbiased news, they are in fact attempting to make news and drive public opinion politically in directions favourable to their owners own views.
The aim of the media is apparently to hold governments and others to account, yet no one is holding the media to account for faking news reports.
It creates distrust of information that is supposed to inform the public.
News media outlets are no longer reliable sources of unbiased news, they are in fact attempting to make news and drive public opinion politically in directions favourable to their owners own views.
The aim of the media is apparently to hold governments and others to account, yet no one is holding the media to account for faking news reports.
Timeline
| 22 Feb 2017 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 2 May 2017 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
14
Status
Closed
Opened
22 Feb 2017
Closed
2 May 2017
Follow this petition
Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.
Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.