Media Reform Coalition

Media Reform coordinates the work of advocacy groups campaigning to protect the public interest in light of the Leveson Inquiry and Communications Review.

MRC submission to inquiry on the future of journalism

By

The House of Lords Select Committee on Communications recently called for submissions to its inquiry on the future of journalism. In the context of the Covid-19 crisis - in which we have seen a huge decline in advertising revenue combined with a massive spike in demand for quality news - supporting independent and critical journalism is especially significant. The MRC's … [Read more...]

MRC submission to online harms white paper

By

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

By

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

By

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

By

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

By

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 … [Read more...]