Finding Your First Story at the Saturday Heritage Fair
Community reporting begins with curiosity: an interest in other people, a willingness to listen, and the confidence to ask a question. Leicester’s Saturday Heritage Fair […]
The Conversion Practices Bill Needs a Clear Answer on Media Freedom
Protecting people from abuse and protecting independent reporting are responsibilities that Parliament should be able to uphold together. The draft Conversion Practices Bill raises questions […]
Local Media Needs Independence, Choice And A Public Purpose
Declaration of interest: I am a director of Soar Sound, which has been awarded funding through the Local News Fund, and of Radio Lear, which […]
Join the Heritage Fair – A Practical Introduction to Community Reporting
Leicester’s heritage is held in its people, places, collections and everyday memories. Local groups, volunteers and residents have knowledge that can help us understand how […]
A Holistic BBC Charter Review Must Make Space Beyond the BBC
The Government’s response to the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee offers an important acknowledgement: the next BBC Charter cannot be designed as though […]
Help Tell Leicester’s Heritage Stories
Volunteers from Soar Sound, Documentary Media Centre, Evington Echo and our wider network of partners and collaborators are invited to help capture the stories, conversations […]
Foundational Media Exchange – Building Connections Through Practical Conversations
What helps people keep community media going? Sometimes it’s knowing which software to use, how to support a new contributor or where to find someone […]
Community Media in Practice – Building Connections Through Conversation and Collaboration
The recent Community Media Café meetings in Leicester and the Foundational Media Exchange online sessions have been bringing together an interesting range of conversations about […]
Radio Lear – Making Space for Experimental Sound and Participatory Arts Radio
What should a radio station sound like? Does it have to follow an established format, play recognisable music, feature polished presenters and compete for audience […]
BBC Streaming Tax – Who Decides What Media We Must Pay For?
Is the BBC’s Future Being Decided Behind Closed Doors? Why are we learning about potentially significant changes to the BBC licence fee through anonymous briefings […]
Offensive Language, Social Capital and the Civic Responsibilities of Community Media
The publication of Ofcom’s October 2026 research into public attitudes towards offensive language provides an important opportunity for community media organisations to reflect on their […]
Community Media and Public Health – Building Trust Through Local Conversations
The value of community media is often most apparent in relatively ordinary situations. People come together to share information about their work, residents ask questions, […]
Media Exchange Sessions – New Fortnightly Schedule From 21st October
The Decentered Media Exchange sessions are changing their schedule from later this month. The session on Wednesday 14th October 2026 will go ahead as planned. After […]
BBC Charter Review – Public Service Media Needs More Than An Expanding BBC
The House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s report on the BBC Royal Charter Review contains an important recognition: the media environment in which […]
Radio Review – Diversification, Spectrum and the Missing Supply-Side Question
The current debate about the future of UK radio is increasingly being shaped by questions of distribution, connected devices, audience behaviour and the relationship between […]