Blackburn Rovers have banned a local newspaper from any media access following ‘a series of ongoing issues’.The Championship side released a statement announcing that a decision to ban the Lancashire Telegraph was ‘not taken lightly’.Blackburn have banned local newspaper, the Lancashire Telegraph, from any access to the clubGetty The outlet has had their media access revoked with immediate effect, starting on Saturday for Blackburn‘s clash against Charlton.They will not be allowed to attend any fixtures, press conferences or enter club premises until further notice.Rovers reporter for the Lancashire Telegraph, Elliott Jackson, is the journalist in question that the club have expressed unhappiness with, amid their poor start to the season.However, the newspaper’s entire staff have received the ban.Jackson has shared an update on his own social media, receiving hundreds of supportive messages from Blackburn fans. What did Blackburn’s statement say? Blackburn posted their statement on Friday, writing: “This decision has not been taken lightly. “It follows a series of ongoing issues that the club considers inconsistent with the standards of professionalism, integrity and mutual respect expected in our relationship with media partners.“In recent months, Blackburn Rovers made considerable efforts to strengthen ties with the Lancashire Telegraph and its designated Rovers reporter. These included exclusive access to training sessions, players and our Head Coach during the summer training camp in Spain, as well as a personal invitation to travel with the team on a private charter flight for the pre-season fixture against NEC Nijmegen in the Netherlands.“While in Spain, senior club executives also met directly with representatives of the Lancashire Telegraph to discuss concerns, open dialogue and lay the foundations for improved cooperation ahead of the 2025-26 season.“These steps were taken in good faith, with the clear expectation of fair, constructive coverage and a positive working relationship going forward.Blackburn released a statement on Friday explaining their reasons for the banGetty“Regrettably, despite these efforts, the club has continued to encounter repeated issues with the newspaper’s conduct and reporting. This culminated in a recent social media post in which matters became personal – a line the club will not tolerate under any circumstances. Such actions directly undermine the assurances and commitments made during the meeting in Spain.“Following further refusals from the Lancashire Telegraph to cooperate until an ‘amicable resolution’ could be reached on their terms, the club has been left with no alternative but to withdraw all media access with immediate effect.“This suspension applies to all Blackburn Rovers fixtures, press conferences and club premises until further notice.“Blackburn Rovers remains committed to engaging openly and respectfully with all sections of the media. However, we will always act firmly to protect the values of the club, its staff and our supporters.”Has the newspaper responded? The Lancashire Telegraph has argued against Blackburn’s ban, stating that their coverage has just been journalists at work. They stated that Jackson was ‘doing his job as a professional, diligent journalist’ by covering the club from all angles. View Tweet: https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rovers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwThe newspaper has also argued against the club taking issue with critical stories, saying it is ‘not a mouthpiece for the club, and it must accept the rough with the smooth, just as all major organisations the newspaper covers do.’A spokesperson for the Lancashire Telegraph said: “To be surprised or upset by this strikes us as either incredibly naive or engineered as an excuse to try to stifle negative coverage.“While we appreciate the opportunities made available to the newspaper, including access to players and transport during pre-season, this should not be used to try to stop us from reporting the facts when the club deserves criticism.“We’re disappointed in the action taken by Blackburn Rovers and remain committed to finding an amicable solution and a way forward.“Ultimately, the club and the Lancashire Telegraph are here to serve the fans. “Readers can rest assured we will continue to provide exemplary coverage of the club, telling the stories that matter about the club they love.”Blackburn's results this seasonGames: 6, Wins: 2, Losses: 4West Brom 1-0 Blackburn Blackburn 1-2 Bradford (Carabao Cup)Blackburn 1-2 Birmingham Hull City 0-3 Blackburn Blackburn 0-2 Norwich Watford 0-1 Blackburn Blackburn’s season so farBlackburn have lost four of their opening six games of the season, sitting 18th in the Championship table. One of those losses came in the Carabao Cup first round against League One side Bradford City. It leaves manager Valerien Ismael under pressure ahead of their clash with Charlton on Saturday afternoon. Ismal has won six of 17 second-tier games in charge of the club since joining in February for the latter half of last campaign.Rovers have also just been impacted by an EFL decision that has seen them have to replay their meeting with Ipswich Town in full. They were leading Ipswich 1-0 with ten minutes to go, before the game was suspended due to a waterlogged pitch.