By Des Freedman Right in the middle of the summer, and without much fanfare, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has published two documents that reveal its plans for the media and communication sectors. Perhaps it thought that no one would notice. The first is a ‘strategy document’, Connectivity, Content and Consumers, effectively a white paper on digital … [Read more...]
Will the Financial Times be the latest jewel in the Murdoch crown?
Rumours swirled across the international media this week that Rupert Murdoch, in partnership with the state media of Abu Dhabi, was plotting to buy the Financial Times. The story was ardently denied; Pearson, the current owner of those venerable salmon-pink pages, said the FT was "not for sale" and that it was an "important part of Pearson's strategy". Nor is it the first … [Read more...]
Our Media, Not Theirs: report from the Media Reform rally, 17 June
This post is reproduced, with kind permission, from the website of the National Union of Journalists. It does not represent our views, but does offer a fair summary of the rally that night. As the explosive events in Turkey played out on news networks and Twitter around the world, and protesters were being attacked in Taksim Square by the police, the Turkish national news … [Read more...]
The case for caps: how to make media ownership policy work
By Justin Schlosberg Last night’s Radio 4 Media Show featured an interview with shadow culture secretary Harriet Harman where she was pressed by Steve Hewlett on the burgeoning issue of what to do about media plurality. In response, she reiterated Labour’s support for a system of thresholds to be applied to media ownership – particularly in respect of newspapers – arguing … [Read more...]
A Historic Moment? Leveson and Accountability Spectacle
By Justin Schlosberg The political furore surrounding the late night-deal over press regulation announced this week would have The Thick Of It writers licking their lips. The nub of the controversy concerns a disagreement over an agreement - whether or not the deal really does give statutory underpinning to the new press regulator, and hence, which party leader walks away … [Read more...]
Leveson’s best cure is to limit the power of media empires
This piece, by Ricken Patel of Avaaz, originally appeared in the Guardian. Like Media Reform, Avaaz wants to see strong ownership controls to ensure a plural and free press working in the public interest. It is republished with permission and thanks. … [Read more...]
Leveson Report report: does the sentence fit the crime?
This article reprints Des Freedman's piece in the Huffington Post. Some sixteen months after David Cameron set up a public inquiry to examine the culture, practices and ethics of the press, Lord Justice Leveson has delivered his report. It calls for a new form of independent self-regulation with statutory oversight in order to make sure that the press cannot wriggle out of … [Read more...]