Ofcom has been consulting on the findings from Small Screen: Big Debate, a review whch examines how to strengthen and maintain public service broadcasting (PSB) for the next decade and beyond, in the face of unprecedented changes to technology, financing and viewer behaviour. MRC submissions … [Read more...]
Report: Who Owns the UK Media?
NEW REPORT ON UK MEDIA OWNERSHIP JUST PUBLISHED 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. In 2019, we produced an updated version that suggests that, not only does concentrated ownership persist but that the problem may be getting worse. Sadly, … [Read more...]
Facebook v Australia: Murdoch wins
by Benedetta Brevini The day after Facebook, the Digital Lord, banned Australian news from its platform, the world is still watching. Of course, it’s watching. After two decades of absence of regulation, the Digital Lords of the Western world such as Google and Facebook are finally under pressure. The fight did not start in Australia and it is already global: from the United … [Read more...]
Media Democracy Festival 2021
We're thrilled to announce the schedule for our forthcoming Media Democracy Festival, a week-long celebration of independent media voices and analysis of why our current media system is not fit for purpose. We kick off with a keynote and Q&A from former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on 'A Free Media for a Free Society' - 6pm, Sunday 14 March Do Black Lives Matter … [Read more...]
A Secret Australia: Why Julian Assange’s own country ignored him and WikiLeaks’ exposés
by Benedetta Brevini As a journalist, scholar and media reformer, I have been following the activities of WikiLeaks for over a decade, assessing the disrupting force of new radical platforms for disclosure. WikiLeaks is a crucial example of a digital platform that exposes the contradictions of the internet as a tool for openness and secrecy, freedom and surveillance, free … [Read more...]
Decriminalising TV licence fee evasion will cut BBC funding without helping the poorest
by Leo Watkins On 9 December last year, mere days before the General Election, Boris Johnson was having a bad news day. He was televised in the morning trying to avoid being confronted by a reporter’s evidence of a young boy sleeping on the floor of an NHS hospital (with the insinuation being that he was being denied proper medical care). Later in the day, his health … [Read more...]
The silence around Assange
by Jacob Ecclestone and Bernie Corbett There is a scandal and a crisis in British journalism. For the past three weeks or so a crucial extradition hearing has been taking place in the Central Criminal Court in London. You won’t know about it if you rely for your news on the established newspapers, the BBC or ITV or Channel 4. They have the resources to report it but they … [Read more...]