Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom (CPBF)
for diverse, democratic and accountable media
If we want peace, justice and sustainability we need land, money and media reform. Land and banking reform are the big ones, but we need media reform first; without it we'll never have the quality of public discourse needed to bring about wider systems change. As activist and author David Korten once put it: The key to changing the course of the human future, is to change the … [Read more...]
The International Federation of Journalists has warmly welcomed ideas put forward by UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn to raise funds to support investigative and public service media by forcing big technology firms to pay their fair share of tax. Plans to democratise the BBC, give tax breaks to not-for-profit public interest journalistic outfits and to build an … [Read more...]
Garry KnightThe Media Reform Coalition writes: Jeremy Corbyn’s proposals for major reforms to our ‘failing’ media system, outlined in a speech to the Edinburgh Television Festival on 23 August, are much-needed and long overdue. They lay out the basis for a more accountable and representative media that promotes new sources of independent journalism, demands that the biggest tech … [Read more...]
Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, said: “The NUJ welcomes bold proposals that seek to protect and bolster public service broadcasting, and aim to carve a future for the BBC that is free from the ceaseless political pot-shots lobbed its way in the last two licence-fee settlements that have undermined its resources and threatened its ability to deliver quality content … [Read more...]
Plans to tax leading media-technology firms, as outlined by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn today (Thursday 23 August), would finance much needed greater diversity in the media, Unite, the country’s largest union, said. Unite said that the Labour leader is ‘definitely on the right track’ with his proposals for a ‘digital license fee’ to help BBC funding and diversity, paid for … [Read more...]
Prolific NorthThe Secretary of State, Matt Hancock, has approved Reach’s (formerly Trinity Mirror) takeover of Express Newspapers. Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, said: Continuing to work with staff to improve the reach and commercial success of the titles should now be Simon Fox’s priority. Full and meaningful consultation with the NUJ is vital to address the concerns of … [Read more...]
The Media Reform Coalition cautiously welcomes the Culture Secretary’s statement agreeing with the main finding of the Fox/Sky merger review: that the deal poses a serious risk to the public interest on plurality grounds. We are disappointed that neither he nor the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have expressed similar concerns in regard to Fox’s commitment to … [Read more...]
Last week Culture Secretary Matt Hancock decided to scrap part 2 of the Leveson Inquiry (whose terms of reference included looking into crime and wrongdoings within the Murdoch empire). This does not bode well for his forthcoming decision about whether or not to give Murdoch even MORE power by allowing his bid for Sky to proceed. And with less than two weeks left of our … [Read more...]
CNNIn yet another twist in the on-going saga for control of Sky, Comcast have announced a bid for Sky that is higher than that made Murdoch-controlled 21 Century Fox (this after 21CF has itself agreed to sell most of its assets, including its share in Sky to Disney). The Comcast bid raises fewer and different concerns than Fox; CPBF is generally against the ever-greater … [Read more...]
Great news everyone! The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK regulator responsible for the current Phase 2 investigation in Murdoch's Sky takeover, has provisionally found the the Fox/ Sky deal is NOT in the public interest. This is great boost for our fight to #StopMurdoch's Sky takeover, but we need to keep up the pressure to ensure that new Culture … [Read more...]