Better Together in Leicester – Rebuilding the Conditions for Public Discussion
Our recent Better Together workshop brought forward a set of concerns that feel immediate, but are in fact part of a longer and deeper pattern […]
Articles by Rob Watson
Learning in Practice – Shumaila Jaffery’s Reflections from the Field
Podcast: Play in new window
https://decentered.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Decentered-Media-Podcast-010-2026-03-28-Mixdown.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowWhat does it mean to step into a community media environment not as an observer at a distance, but as a […]
Government Investment in Local News Is Welcome, But Renewal Will Fail Without Civic and Local Ownership
The government’s new Local Media Strategy is welcome. After years of drift, DCMS has finally acknowledged that local news and community radio are not optional […]
Welcoming Local Media’s Place in the Social Cohesion Agenda
The UK Government’s updated social cohesion policy, Protecting What Matters, is significant not only for what it says about confidence, resilience and shared civic life, […]
The BBC Charter Renewal Should Renew Public Purpose Media, Not Just the BBC
The current BBC Charter Review should not be treated as a narrow exercise in institutional maintenance. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport opened the […]
BBC Charter Renewal and the Liberal Questions We Are Not Asking
The debate about BBC Charter Renewal is already becoming familiar. The BBC says it needs stronger constitutional protection, a more secure funding settlement, lighter regulation, […]
The BBC Charter Renewal Needs Wider Public Voices
The BBC’s Charter renewal is not a technical exercise. It is a decision about what the BBC is for, who it serves, and how it […]
Rebalancing The Airwaves – Reflections From The Better Media Consultation
The recent Better Media online consultation sessions brought together practitioners, advocates and policy observers to reflect on two live processes shaping the future of UK […]
Local Trust, Public Accountability and The Limits of Regional Broadcasting
Robert Thompson, Interim Director of BBC Local has published a blog arguing that, in a divided world, local news brings communities together. That is an admirable […]
‘Tackling Communalism in Leicester in a Transnational World’ – What’s the Role for Independent and Community Media?
The Better Together report confronts Leicester with difficult questions about social fragmentation, polarisation and the erosion of common ground. It describes how divisions centred on […]
Epistemic Security and the Future of the BBC: Rethinking Public Service Media at Charter Renewal
Podcast: Play in new window
https://decentered.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Decentered-Media-001-2026-02-20-Mixdown.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowThe latest episode of the Decentered Media Podcast brings together Rob Watson and Sameer Padania for a detailed discussion about the […]
Online Civic Futures Forum – Radio Policy, Plurality and the Future of Independent Media
The UK is entering a significant period of review for broadcast radio policy. Ofcom is consulting on its future approach to broadcast licensing. DCMS has […]
A Welcome Review of Radio – Now Broaden the Conversation
The Government’s announcement that it will review the future of radio is timely and necessary. Radio remains one of the most trusted and widely used […]
Beyond Protectionism – What the Bolton–Riley Conversation Reveals About the Future of Radio
The recent conversation between Roger Bolton and Phil Riley on Beeb Watch was a welcome and timely contribution to a debate that has been oddly […]
The BBC’s Portrayal and Representation Review – Why the “Model” Matters as Much as the Metrics
The BBC’s independent thematic review of portrayal and representation is not simply a debate about fairness in casting, or whether particular audiences feel “seen”. It […]