Thread by @docrussjackson

In pre-Leveson 2007/8, a Select Committee on Communications examined "The ownership of the
#news".

With the imminent launch of Fox-News-Style #GBNews AND Rupert Murdoch's #NewsUK, I just wanted to highlight some of the entirely sensible recommendations:

publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/ld…

374. "The relationship between policy makers and the media is a legitimate area of public interest. We therefore propose that politicians in all parties are open & candid about their meetings with media owners & editors."

375. "We do not accept that the increase of news sources invalidates the case for special treatment of the media through ownership regulation. There is still a danger that if media ownership becomes too concentrated the diversity of voices available could be diminished."

376. "An internal company structure cannot be an adequate substitute for competition law & statutory regulation in ensuring that no single voice becomes too powerful. Regulation to ensure a plurality of media ownership is still relevant & necessary."

377. "The public interest considerations for newspaper mergers and broadcasting and cross-media mergers should be amended to refer specifically to a need to establish whether a merger will impact adversely on news gathering."

380. "@Ofcom should be given the power to initiate the Public Interest Test" as Ofcom "has a duty to promote the interests of the citizen."

381. "Legislation should be amended so that Ofcom investigates media mergers only on the basis of the public interest criteria".

382. "When @Ofcom considers the public interest considerations of a media merger it should be required to put the needs of the citizen ahead of the needs of the consumer."

387. "The strength of @BBCNews is its reporters & those that support them. Between them they provide a depth & range of news which is among the best in the world. We believe that NOTHING should be allowed to reduce the @BBC’s ability to sustain this high quality news operation."

389. "We emphatically believe that Public Service Broadcasting cannot be left to the @BBC alone. A continuing plurality of public service broadcasters should be an aim of public policy. This is particularly crucial for news and current affairs."

advanced-television.com/2019/03/05/ofc…

"@Ofcom’s research shows that the public values this plurality, especially in news. It also serves the valuable purpose of providing competition for the @BBC. We urge Ofcom to make news provision a priority on the #PSBs when it comes to negotiating future service obligations."

393. "We believe there is scope in the idea of sharing @BBC facilities with other public service broadcasters and that this proposal should be further examined. The Government should take forward this work."

396. "@Ofcom should work to define more systematically “high-quality” news (&) produce an annual report monitoring the quality & quantity of #PSB news & Ofcom should also develop a mechanism for holding companies responsible if their news falls short of quality thresholds."

400. "Any weakening of the impartiality requirements.. would have a negative impact in the quality & trustworthiness of the country’s news. Such a move would not benefit the public or journalists & could run the risk of undermining the most important medium for news."

Since 2015, the proportion of British people who trust most news, most of the time, has fallen from 51% to 40%.

Trust in journalists as a profession is at an all time low & you don't have to be a media expert to know why: contrarian partisan dumbed-down news attracts ad revenue.

Imho #GBNews & #NewsUK will help trust deteriorates further: audiences should NOT be framed as passive 'consumers' rather than active 'citizens'. Impartial, intelligent & nuanced news is an essential component of a decent democracy. Concentrated press ownership is a disaster.

We know what needs to be done, what people want, AND what is in the PUBLIC interest when positioned as citizens rather than consumers:

1 DON'T let influential people get away with lying.

2 STOP demonising the powerless.

3 HOLD the powerful to account.

digitalnewsreport.org/publications/2…

I should add that decline in trust & faith in news & journalism mainly benefits the grotesquely wealthy & already powerful, & its no coincidence that the demonization & defunding of journalism has contributed to the rise of what Nick Davies calls #churnalism.