Beyond the Bulletin – Rethinking Local Radio News for a Regenerative Media Economy
Ofcom’s consultation on local radio news highlights the need to strengthen civic accountability and tackle the rise of news deserts, but its focus on bulletin […]
Policy Discussion
Unlocking FM & AM in the Digital Radio Era
What does Ofcom’s Media Nations 2025 report reveal about the future of UK radio? Why is a full digital switchover unlikely anytime soon? How do […]
Free Speech, Extremism and the Role of Community Media – Renewing the Civic Framework for Resilient Public Discourse
The recent findings from the Ipsos UK survey for the Commission for Countering Extremism offer a timely and sobering insight into how people across England […]
Ofcom’s Response to Manosphere Report Concerns – A Failure to Meet Statutory Research Duties
On June 14, 2025, Decentered Media wrote to Ofcom’s Chief Executive, Dame Melanie Dawes, expressing serious concerns about the methodological flaws and lack of impartiality […]
The BBC’s Contradictions Laid Bare – Rhodri Talfan Davies Speaks, but Who’s Listening?
If ever there were a moment that captured the BBC’s current malaise — its existential doubt, public disconnection, and institutional complacency — it came during […]
Reaffirming Social Gain – A Critical Evaluation of Ofcom’s ‘Measuring the Social Gain of Community Radio’ Report
The June 2025 report Measuring the Social Gain of Community Radio, commissioned by Ofcom and prepared by Wavehill, is a welcome and necessary intervention. It […]
Rethinking Harm, Trust, and Responsibility — A Real Conversation on the Manosphere
In a week dominated by debate over Ofcom’s recent Experiences of Engaging with the Manosphere report, it is worth pausing to ask: are we seeing […]
Framing the Manosphere – Why Ofcom’s Report Raises More Questions Than It Answers
As the UK’s communications regulator, Ofcom occupies a uniquely powerful position—tasked with overseeing media standards while increasingly expanding its remit into online safety and digital […]
Why Neighbourhood Renewal Needs Media Reform at Its Heart
The publication of the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods’ green paper Delivering Neighbourhood Renewal: Proposals for Change marks a timely and ambitious moment for policymakers, local […]
Mutualising the BBC? Only If We Build From the Ground Up
At Decentered Media, we welcome opportunities to rethink how our shared media institutions might evolve. The Media Reform Coalition and Common Wealth’s proposal to mutualise […]
Reclaiming the Public Sphere – A Foundational Approach to Community Media and Democratic Renewal
As the IPPR’s Facing the Future report rightly identifies, the collapse of common ground in our democracy cannot be ignored. The fragmentation of public discourse, […]
Rethinking Community Media – From Fragmentation to Shared Civic Life
In a recent speech, the UK Prime Minister warned that Britain risks becoming an “island of strangers,” raising a sharp challenge to those working in […]
Reimagining Citizenship Through Media – What ‘Closing the Void’ Misses About Democracy and Daily Life
The recent report Closing the Void: Can We Reconnect Politics with Associational Life? published by Power to Change, offers a timely and necessary exploration of […]
Valuing the Social Fabric – Community Media as Infrastructure for a Democratic and Foundational Future
The British Academy’s latest report, Measuring Social and Cultural Infrastructure, marks an important shift in how we understand the assets and systems that sustain communal […]
Reframing the Role of Community Radio – Funding, Purpose and the Need for Policy Clarity
The recent announcement of an increase in the Community Radio Fund (CRF) for 2025/26 is welcome recognition of the importance of community-based broadcasting across the […]