This article originally appeared at the Daily Mirror. President Obama has had enough of Rupert Murdoch. His target is the right-wing media mogul's Fox News - the ultra-conservative TV news channel whose presenters openly compare America's first black president to Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein. Exasperated by the constant stream of televised attacks, Obama has hit … [Read more...]
When “measuring” is a substitute for action: the government’s consultation on media ownership
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...]
Two faces of Rupert Murdoch, presented without comment
Then: "I was shocked and appalled by recent allegations concerning the News of the World and I am deeply sorry for the hurt that was caused. "...I have never tolerated the kind of behaviour that has been described over these past few weeks. It has no place at News Corporation. "These serious allegations made about some of our former employees at the News of the World … [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...]
Response to Harriet Harman’s speech on media ownership
On Thursday 13 June shadow culture secretary Harriet Harman used Westminster University's annual Charles Wheeler lecture to call for laws which would limit media ownership. In an echo of our own proposals, she demanded a true plurality law: rigorous ownership caps, hard limits for forced divestiture, lower limits for intervention, and various public service obligations in … [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...]