Photo by Obi - @pixel6propix on Unsplash This post by our Australian colleagues Benedetta Brevini and Michael Ward considers why the recent Australian News Media Bargaining Code, the legislation enacted to make Big Tech - or 'Digital Lords' - pay for news, may not be a solution for the UK's journalism funding crisis. *** As the UK Parliament holds an inquiry into the … [Read more...]
Media and the manipulation of language
by Calum Rosie Criticising the current state of the English language can be risky; one can easily (and in many cases, justifiably) be accused of snobbishness and elitism, countered with the argument that language evolves and that we should all be willing to adapt to it. And while this is true to a point, it’s incredibly important to remember that language is a tool developed … [Read more...]
MRC submission to inquiry on the future of journalism
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...]
What will the coronavirus pandemic mean for the business of news?
At a time when we need trusted information and analysis more than ever, Covid-19 threatens the very fabric of our news environment. With an announcement today by JPIMedia that it is suspending 12 of its local print titles because of a collapse in advertising and huge problems with home delivery, and the recent decision by Newsquest to put a 'significant number' of … [Read more...]
Reflections on the election from a journalism student
by Clara Hill There are many things that attracted me to pursue a career in journalism. Mainly, that I might as well monetise my irritating love of 24 hour news I inherited from my father. In some ways, this is an unfortunate ambition because it is no secret that the British media is largely biased towards the right. From my point of view, it is unclear whether this … [Read more...]
New MRC research finds inaccuracies and distortions in media coverage of antisemitism and the Labour Party
The Media Reform Coalition has conducted in-depth research on the controversy surrounding antisemitism in the Labour Party, focusing on media coverage of the crisis during the summer of 2018. Following extensive case study research, we identified myriad inaccuracies and distortions in online and television news including marked skews in sourcing, omission of essential context … [Read more...]
Do the voices of mainstream media still dominate public conversation? Maybe
By Justin Schlosberg What do Michael Gove and Jeremy Corbyn have in common? For one thing (and perhaps the only thing), they both believe that the mainstream media - and particularly the right wing national press - no longer hold sway over elections. And they are not alone in holding such views. Few doubt that we are witnessing a profoundly disruptive moment for the … [Read more...]