Stop Funding Hate is an online campaign to discourage companies from advertising in populist-conservative-leaning media outlets, mostly in the United Kingdom. Stop Funding Hate launches social media campaigns against targeted companies, accusing them of facilitating the promotion of “hate,” particularly against immigrants and Muslims. The group has compiled an Ethical Advertisers List of companies that have publicly renounced advertising on condemned media outlets, which include the Daily Mail, the Sun, and the Express. ¹

Critics of Stop Funding Hate accuse the organization of engaging in censorship of widely held conservative political views.

History

In August 2016, Richard Wilson, a former corporate fundraiser for Amnesty International, and Rosey Ellum, a charity fundraiser, launched Stop Funding Hate in response to a perceived rise in anti-immigrant sentiment in populist-conservative British media outlets, especially the tabloid newspapers Daily Mail, Sun, and Express. ² In its first three days, the campaign’s Facebook page amassed 70,000 likes and its petition for Virgin Media to stop advertising in the Sun for its supposed “demonization of immigrants” gained 31,000 signatures. ³

In November 2016, Lego announced it was ending a promotional tie-in with the Daily Mail. ⁴ Stop Funding Hate claimed credit, prompting criticism from journalists. ⁵⁶

Funding

In February 2017, Stop Funding Hate launched a crowdfunding page to expand the campaign’s operations. In 28 days, the campaign hit its goal of raising £100,000 (as of early August 2020, about $131,000). ⁷

In January 2018, Stop Funding Hate launched a second crowdfunding page which raised over £80,000 (approximately $104,000 at August 2020 exchange rates) in 28 days. ⁸ Much of this money was used to pay back creditors, and by April 2018, Stop Funding Hate reported zero net assets. ⁹

In January 2019, Stop Funding Hate launched a third crowdfunding page with a goal of £45,000 (about $60,000). The page was closed after 90 days after raising £5,000 ($6,559). ¹⁰ However, the organization raised over £200,000 (about $260,000) in 2019 through private donations. ¹¹

Criticism

In November 2016, media editor Dominic Ponsford wrote an article for the Press Gazette criticizing Stop Funding Hate as “an illiberal way to set about achieving a liberal objective.” He argued that most Stop Funding Hate supporters do not read the Daily Mail or the other media outlets attacked by the organization and had no right to dictate the outlets’ content. Further, he argued that by creating a precedent for campaigns to sway media content, Stop Funding Hate was opening the door for private interests such as banks or oil companies to launch their own campaigns to sway the media out of self-interest. ¹²

Many other critics have accused Stop Funding Hate of engaging in elitist censorship to suppress populist politics. Spectator journalist Brendan O’Neill called the campaign “naked political censorship” for targeting media outlets over their support of Brexit and other conservative policies. ¹³ Journalist Naomi Firsht accused Stop Funding Hate of targeting tabloids which serve as an outlet for popular criticism of societal elites with metropolitan-liberal political and social views. ¹⁴

In November 2017, after stationery supply company Paperchase apologized for running an advertisement in the Daily Mail, the newspaper wrote an article accusing Stop Funding Hate co-founder Richard Wilson of hypocrisy for promoting his book in the Daily Mail in 2006. The newspaper referred to Stop Funding Hate as “hard left pro Remain Corbynistas,” referring to opponents of the British withdrawal from the European Union and supporters of far-left then-Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. ¹⁵

Partner Organizations

Stop Funding Hate lists twelve partner organizations:¹⁶

• National Union of Students
• Show Racism the Red Card
• Accord
• Citizens UK
• Usdaw
• Tell Mama
• Mermaid
• Friends, Family and Travellers
• Stand Up!
• Centre for Hate Studies
• Lanterns on the Lake
• Extinguish Hate

1. “Campaign History.” Stop Funding Hate. Accessed August 4, 2020. https://stopfundinghate.info/about-the-campaign/campaign-history/.
2. “Campaign History.” Stop Funding Hate. Accessed August 4, 2020. https://stopfundinghate.info/about-the-campaign/campaign-history/.
3. Ridley, Louise. “The Sun, Daily Mail And Express Advertisers Targeted in ‘Stop Funding Hate’ Campaign.” Huffington Post. August 16, 2018. Accessed August 4, 2020. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/the-sun-daily-mail-advertisers-stop-funding-hate_uk_57ac4796e4b08ab70dc14989?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9lbi53aWtpcGVkaWEub3JnLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKC0Px_Fu7Cfuj9Lqz7aGRoRJN3xvFjZDChoJ1nFN7Ry5UTUqCBPKNXMyVV_hfBrvtkcZ5szxdHi4wCTNwATw6Uo8gRI9f3d1cDhb0b-LDi3ANfufCBDEg2uIUPj1efld-k25-ZSrlMrgGMlzUOa03u3g-e3CTbkIlLvhy3Ezj_c.
4. Griggs, Ian. “Stop Funding Hate claims scalp as Lego becomes first major brand to pull out of promotional tie-up.” PR Week. November 14, 2016. Accessed August 4, 2020. https://www.prweek.com/article/1415445/stop-funding-hate-claims-scalp-lego-becomes-first-major-brand-pull-promotional-tie-up.
5. O’Neil, Brendan. “Stop Funding Hate: a nasty, elitist campaign for press censorship.” November 15, 2016. Accessed August 4, 2020. https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/stop-funding-hate-a-nasty-elitist-campaign-for-press-censorship.
6. Firsht, Naomi. “The hatefulness of Stop Funding Hate.” Spiked. November 17, 2016. Accessed August 4, 2020. https://www.spiked-online.com/2016/11/17/the-hatefulness-of-stop-funding-hate/.
7. “Stop Funding Hate.” Crowdfunder. Accessed August 4, 2020. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/stop-funding-hate.
8. “Stop Funding Hate.” Crowdfunder. Accessed August 4, 2020. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/stop-funding-hate-next-level.
9. “Stop Funding Hate C.I.C.” Companies House. Accessed August 4, 2020. https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/10737024/filing-history.
10. “Stop Funding Hate – let’s lock in the change.” Crowdfunder. August 4, 2020. https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/stop-funding-hate-lock-in-the-change.
11. “Stop Funding Hate C.I.C.” Companies House. Accessed August 4, 2020. https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/10737024/filing-history.
12. Pondford, Dominic. “Seeking an advertising boycott of newspapers you disagree with is an illiberal way to promote liberal values.” Press Gazette. November 11, 2016. Accessed August 4, 2020. https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/seeking-an-advertising-boycott-of-newspapers-you-disagree-with-is-an-illiberal-way-to-promote-liberal-values/.
13. O’Neil, Brendan. “Stop Funding Hate: a nasty, elitist campaign for press censorship.” November 15, 2016. Accessed August 4, 2020. https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/stop-funding-hate-a-nasty-elitist-campaign-for-press-censorship.
14. Firsht, Naomi. “The hatefulness of Stop Funding Hate.” Spiked. November 17, 2016. Accessed August 4, 2020. https://www.spiked-online.com/2016/11/17/the-hatefulness-of-stop-funding-hate/.
15. Snowdon, Kathryn. “Daily Mail Hits Back At Stop Funding Hate, Accuses Founder Richard Wilson of Publicizing Book in Paper.” Huffington Post. November 22, 2017. Accessed August 4, 2020. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/daily-mail-stop-funding-hate-richard-wilson_uk_5a155caee4b09650540e6546.
16. “Who we work with.” Stop Funding Hate. Accessed August 4, 2020. https://stopfundinghate.info/about-the-campaign/who-we-work-with/.