Digital Radio Policy – Leaving No One Behind
Decentered Media is publishing a new briefing paper examining the outcomes of the Small-Scale DAB programme and its implications for local and independent broadcasting. This […]
Decentered Media Podcast – Foundational Media and the Problem of Polarisation
Podcast: Play in new window
https://decentered.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Decentered-Media-Podcast-009-2025-12-29-Mixdown.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowIn this episode of the Decentered Media Podcast, I am joined by Shumaila Jaffery, a journalist and doctoral researcher whose work […]
Hello, I’m Shumaila Jaffery — a Storyteller, a Researcher and a Former Journalist
I am thrilled to join Decentered Media as part of my Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded PhD project. Over the coming months, I’ll […]
BBC Ratings Decline – Problems for Strategy or Sign of the Wrong Metric?
This article argues that Christmas TV ratings cannot be used as a definitive measure of the BBC’s success or failure. Reflecting on the contrast between […]
Between Reflection and Renewal – Christmas and New Year Thoughts on Civic Media and the Year Ahead
As the year draws to a close, we want to offer our thanks to everyone who has read, listened, challenged, supported, or quietly reflected alongside […]
Media Reform as Civic Renewal
UK media reform is being shaped by Ofcom’s Review of Broadcast Regulation and the BBC Charter Renewal process. This blog frames reform as civic renewal, […]
BBC Charter Review 2025 – A Green Paper that Invites Serious Public Deliberation
The UK Government’s Green Paper on the BBC’s Charter Review is now published, and it is welcome. Whatever one’s preferred settlement, Charter Renewal is one […]
Making Sense of Influence – Why Journalists Must Explain the Dynamics Behind the Trans-Identity Debate
This post examines why journalism must clearly explain the influences shaping the trans-identity debate, including contested terms, advocacy networks and policy processes. It argues that […]
Foundational Media – Opening a Conversation About the Stories that Hold Everyday Life Together
Given the social and political turmoil reported in our media, one might question if the economic and social model that has held sway for the […]
Evaluating the BBC – Systems, Anecdotes, and the Problem of Closed Feedback Loops
Ofcom’s Annual Report on the BBC’s activities presents a picture of steady compliance, careful monitoring, and procedural attention. The tone that Ofcom adopts is measured […]
Public Purpose Media and the Conditions for Social Cohesion
This article examines the findings of Parallel Lives: 25 years on and considers how social cohesion is shaped by psychological, neighbourhood and narrative factors. It […]
Public Service Media, Foundational Economics, and the Question We Must Ask Before BBC Charter Renewal
This blog explores new research arguing that public service media should be recognised as essential national infrastructure, comparable to transport or healthcare. It highlights how […]
What Should Public Service Media Be For? Rethinking the BBC’s Role in an Age of Change
As the BBC’s Charter Review approaches, a new briefing paper, BBC New to Britain: A Public Interest Case for an English-First Integration Service, calls for […]
When a National Broadcaster Starts to Look Like British Leyland
The BBC’s leadership turmoil signals a deeper, systemic failure. This post compares today’s BBC to British Leyland’s decline: centralised control, weak product discipline, factional culture, […]
Navigating the Grey Zone – Citizen Reporting, Influencers, and the Civic Work of Media
How did the Manchester Piccadilly Gardens brawl highlight the grey zone between citizen reporting and influencer livestreams? What responsibilities around consent and dignity apply when […]