MRC has invited the Local Radio Group to offer its own thoughts on some worrying developments in local commercial radio. A further comment piece is forthcoming on the impact of community radio. by The Local Radio Group We need to talk about deregulation. Unnecessary and extreme deregulation of the commercial radio industry has recently caused hundreds of job losses. … [Read more...]
Media Manifesto 2019
MRC has pulled together extensive academic research and a number of briefing reports produced by, and in consultation with, a broad range of experts and stakeholders to produce our latest Media Manifesto. It charts a roadmap towards genuine progressive reform that is both practical and radical; replacing legacy frameworks with a media policy fit for the 21st century. It … [Read more...]
New Report: Who Owns the UK Media in 2019?
We produced our first comprehensive report on media ownership in the UK back in 2015 when we argued concentrated ownership was a significant problem for any modern democracy. Four years later, we have produced an updated version that suggests that, not only does concentrated ownership persist but that the problem may be getting worse. This report shows that just three … [Read more...]
Programme for Media Democracy Festival, Saturday 16 March, Clore Centre, Birkbeck, University of London, WC1
GET YOUR TICKETS HERE … [Read more...]
A modest proposal: Why your MP’s voting record can be a platform for strong media democracy
The recently published Cairncross Report on the future of the UK press spoke of a “reduction in public-interest reporting [that] seems to reduce community engagement with local democracy (such as voter turnout) and the accountability of local institutions.” It called for the creation of an Institute for Public Interest News, one of whose tasks might be to … [Read more...]
A Sustainable Future for Journalism? An initial evaluation of the Cairncross Review
By Angela Phillips The Cairncross Review, which is published today, finds that: “Support for public-interest news providers is particularly urgent and justified. In the immediate future, government should look to plug the local gap to ensure the continued supply of local democracy reporting.” It goes on: “Given the evidence of a market failure in the supply of … [Read more...]
Times/Sunday Times merger proposal: MRC says no…
News Corp UK and Ireland Limited – Response to invitation to comment to DCMS on a request to accept undertakings in place of conditions relating to its acquisition of The Times and The Sunday Times newspapers in 1981 The Media Reform Coalition welcomes the opportunity to comment on this request. Since 2011, we have been at the forefront of producing evidence in relation to a … [Read more...]