Learn how to remove a newspaper article online in the UK so you can save your online reputation and protect your legacy from bad press.
The internet is a powerful tool. It offers easy access to tools and information we use every day. But an unfortunate side effect of the digital world is that there is an archived record of pretty much everything on the internet.
As newspapers and magazines struggle to meet demand, companies and individuals alike can be tarnished by incomplete or even false reporting.
For example, online publications often report on major indictments and arrests. Yet, they seldom follow up with news of dropped charges or say whether or not a person was actually found guilty. Without the proper steps, misleading and defaming articles can end up in Google search results for years — or even decades.
Remember, search engine algorithms are based on how popular a certain page is, not how accurate the content is. Even articles that appeared in print long ago can show up online when the news site digitizes its archives.
If you’re looking to remove news articles online, we can help. Call us at 941-259-4554 for more information about cleaning up internet search results for your name.
What Can I Do If Online News Articles Are Hurting My Reputation?
Depending on your specific circumstances, there are several steps you can take to remove news articles online. Google advises that you contact the publisher directly about deleting the article. If they comply with your removal request — and if there aren’t copies of the content published elsewhere — the online content should eventually disappear from search engine results.
Unfortunately, while you can sometimes have the initial publication remove the original content, you often must deal with scraped versions of the article. Sites that scrape articles take news from reliable outlets and use the content to fill in their own sites. It may be an identical copy of the online content or a spin on the original.
If the headlines are particularly inflammatory or attention-grabbing, you may have to deal with having incorrect or misleading information on dozens of sites rather than just one. If this is the case, there are other ways to decrease the visibility of the online content in search results.
Our clients come to us when they need to build or repair their online reputation and take control of their digital presence. Call us at 941-259-4554 to learn more.
How To Remove a Newspaper Article Online in the UK
In this section, we’ll go over the different ways to remove news articles from internet search results or otherwise bury the online content so it rarely gets seen.
Option 1: Have the Publisher Remove the Offending Article
This is the most direct and surefire way to fix your professional or personal reputation. If the publisher agrees to remove negative news articles, there’s a chance they will no longer show up on Google after some time has passed.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to get news outlets to agree with a removal request. The newspaper in question likely considers itself to be a keeper of the online archive, even a sort of historian. If the article is factually correct and doesn’t violate any rules, the paper will likely keep it published — especially if it has juicy information that’s attracting readers.
When Will a Newspaper Remove an Article?
There are several good reasons for an editor to delete an article from their online archives. The top two reasons why a newspaper will agree to remove news articles are:
- The content is inaccurate or unfair.
- The article contains defamatory or inflammatory language.
If your article meets either of these criteria, you may be able to have the content removed with a simple request and proof of the inaccuracy or damage done to your reputation.
When Will a Newspaper Not Remove an Article?
If you are asking the media outlet to remove news articles for any of the following reasons, it’s unlikely that your request will succeed:
- You regret something you did publicly or said in an interview.
- You are concerned about your personal information leaking to the public.
- The article is outdated and could damage your career or life.
Basically, when proof exists that specific content is inaccurate or defamatory, you may be able to delete the article. But if you want to remove news articles for other reasons, such as the devastating impact they’ve had on your life, you may be out of luck.
Still, it pays to go through the proper channels and request removal — there’s always a chance the publisher will agree to remove your information from the site.
How To Ask a Newspaper To Remove News Articles
Here are the 3 steps to take for the best chance of having a news outlet agree to remove an article.
Step 1: Find out who’s in charge
Filling out a “Contact Us” form on the newspaper’s website probably isn’t going to get you what you want. Instead, look for the person who has the final word on published articles. This is usually the newsroom manager, editor, or managing editor. Different publications have different job titles, so search the “Our Team” or “Directory” page on the site for contact information. If information is unlisted, get in touch with the publication directly to ask for the editor’s contact information.
Step 2: Call, don’t email
Emails are easy to delete and ignore. Instead, call whoever is in charge and speak to them directly. Work your way up through the chain of gatekeepers, if necessary, by explaining your situation and asking to speak to their direct manager. Repeat this process until you get to the editor.
Furthermore, don’t leave a voice message with your information — that’s as easy to ignore as an email. Get the editor on the phone to discuss the matter.
Step 3: Be polite and patient
A newspaper article that’s impacting a person’s reputation is simply another piece of content to an editor who’s just doing their job. They probably receive angry emails about negative content daily. Threatening to sue, yelling, and cursing aren’t going to get you anywhere. Stand out from the crowd by being calm, polite, and patient. State the facts and follow up with evidence and documentation by email.
Remember, it’s more likely that your request will be rejected than accepted. It’s a newspaper’s job to report the news accurately. They often don’t care about how the facts affect people’s lives and reputations. At the very least, remaining polite will give you the best chance of the editor working with you.
Do I Have Legal Recourse?
If a news outlet has published criminal record information about you, but that information has been sealed or expunged, you may be able to have them take it down if you provide the proper court documentation. However, even then, some media outlets won’t comply with your request. In that case, you’ll need to hire an attorney to work on your behalf. This can become very expensive and time-consuming.
If you believe that you have legal cause, consider contacting an attorney to review your case. They will let you know if you have legal recourse. Sometimes, a formal request on legal letterhead is enough to convince a newspaper to remove an article. However, newspaper editors can become quite jaded regarding lawsuit threats.
Even if you do seek legal aid, you may end up with a retraction, an edited article, or a follow-up piece instead of outright deletion. While this may be a better alternative to the original article, it won’t necessarily help you repair the damage done to your online reputation.
Option 2: Use Suppression Tactics To Bury the Newspaper Article
Whether or not the outlet removes the article, it could still appear in Google Search for an indefinite amount of time. And if the outlet won’t delete it, it can have a prominent place in search engine results forever. Plus, blogs and scraper sites often republish content for views, and you can’t always track them all down, making it even more difficult to take control of your digital footprint through removal requests alone.
Luckily, there are ways to bury negative content without the assistance of the publisher.
Ask Google To De-Index the Content
If a news article continues to exist online, whether at the source or in search results alone, you can request that Google de-index the page. Indexing is how Google files and retrieves online information.
Picture Google as a giant filing cabinet — it uses its own filing system to archive and track down information. When you search for someone on Google and then click a link in the results, you’re taken to the correct page because it’s been properly indexed. But if the information is de-indexed, it won’t exist in the filing system any longer, which means people won’t be able to access it.
In other words, the story may still exist at the source, but people won’t be able to find it using Google — which can seriously limit how many people visit that story in the future.
If the news outlet has removed the content, it’s pretty easy to get Google to de-index it. After all, Google doesn’t want to show people search results for content that doesn’t exist.
But if the article does still exist online, then it will need to meet certain criteria for Google to agree to de-index it, such as:
- The article reveals protected personal information.
- Information is included in the article that endangers your privacy or safety.
- The content contains explicit images.
- The article violates a law.
If any of these criteria apply to your situation, Google is much more likely to agree with your de-indexing request.
Use Suppression Campaigns To Bury the Information
Most of the time, content suppression is the most powerful way to get rid of unwanted online articles. Instead of spending time, effort and money to have the information removed, you can take control of the situation by creating positive and neutral content that effectively “buries” the negative content. This is called “reverse SEO.”
To understand how reverse SEO works, you have to first understand how SEO works. Search engine optimization (SEO) is what helps Google’s algorithms decide what goes in the top results when you search for something. It looks at factors like:
- How recently the content was published
- Whether the content is from a trusted source
- How often readers leave the site after clicking the link link
- What keywords and phrases are used most often
- The length of the content
- Which resources are linked to
Reverse SEO uses the same principles to rank positive content and remove negative content from the top of the search engine results page (SERP). The more positive content you can optimize and post online, the further down in search results your negative content is pushed. And once your content is pushed to page two or beyond, you’ve basically achieved your goal. Most users don’t go past the first SERP. In fact, less than 1% click on a result on the 2nd page.
Essentially, with enough content, you can bury bad press coverage with positive information.
Remember, though: The content you publish must be high-quality and SEO-focused. It takes a long-term campaign and consistent effort to effectively leverage reverse SEO. If you are struggling to create content, the team at Internet Reputation can help. Call us at 941-259-4554 today for a free consultation.
Protect Your Reputation and Bury Negative Content
At InternetReputation.com, we provide online reputation management (ORM) information to individuals and businesses who want to create, grow or repair their digital presence. Whether you’re prioritizing your personal or professional online reputation, our advice, services and team of experts can help.
We offer a range of ORM services, including content removal and reputation repair following a crisis. Our five-step process includes analysis, web property development, content creation, publishing and promotion.
Do you need to speak with an expert about reputation monitoring, management or repair? Get in touch with us by calling 941-259-4554 today.