Earlier this year, the government published its white paper outlining plans for a new regulatory approach to tackling "illegal and harmful content and activity online". In particular, it discusses the threat to "our way of life" posed by "disinformation" which has huge implications for the conduct of journalism. We reproduce below our submission to the ongoing … [Read more...]
A model motion for media reform
This meeting/branch/conference/ believes that: our current media suffer from concentration of media ownership, lack of accountability, lack of independence from government and from commercial pressures and do not adequately represent a diverse range of people and views;a flourishing, diverse and accountable media is essential for a healthy, functioning democracy. Media … [Read more...]
Unmasked: Andrew Norfolk, the Times and anti-Muslim reporting – a case to answer
A detailed study out today finds that three times in 15 months the chief investigative reporter of the Times, Andrew Norfolk, published sensational series of front-page articles portraying Muslims as threatening – and in every case central allegations were unfounded. The study, written by investigative journalists Brian Cathcart and Paddy French and supported by the … [Read more...]
Community Radio: Deliberative Media Communities at the Heart of Media Reform
This is the second in our series of invited pieces about the importance of local and community radio. by Rob Watson You would have to be living under a rock not to sense the destructive tension of Brexit in our political debates of recent times. These strains are stretching and distorting our traditional social accords and norms in ways that are intensely polarising and … [Read more...]
Stop the deregulation of local commercial radio
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...]