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...]
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...]
BBC consultation on Over-75s licences: Government should fund its own welfare policy
The Media Reform Coalition has published its submission to the ongoing consultation on who should fund free licences for the over-75s. The BBC is set to assume full responsibility for the £750 million cost from 2020. We have no desire to see this "concession" disappear but believe that the government should fully fund it seeing as it was included as a central platform of their … [Read more...]
MRC submission to Cairncross Review
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport established the Cairncross Review to examinine the sustainability of high-quality journalism in the UK. The Review is particularly concerned with the Press and says that it will give equal weight to the needs of consumers and industry. But many fear its real intention is to justify subsidising corporate news organisations … [Read more...]
Fox/Sky takeover: archive of civil society submissions
MRC is happy to host an archive of some of the submissions and reports that have been prepared in relation to the proposed takeover of Sky by 21st Century Fox. Avaaz, Submission to the CMA consultation on its provisional findings regarding proposed acquisition of Sky by 21CF, February 2018 Media Reform Coalition, Response to notice of possible remedies, February … [Read more...]
Live from Greece: The media and austerity
by Lee Salter What is happening in Greece right now is a microcosm of the relationship between neoliberalism and democracy. A government has been elected whose main platform was to put people before profit and, despite the fact that it had enormous popular support, international financiers have ensured that its platform cannot be realised. Whilst the relation between … [Read more...]