DCMS Media Green Paper Consultation – Civic Compact for the Platform Age
The government’s Watch this Space media green paper has crystallised a tension that can no longer be postponed. On one side stands a legitimate fear […]
Public Purpose Media
Lisa Nandy Stays at DCMS – Now the Real Work Must Begin
Lisa Nandy MP’s continuation as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport offers an opportunity for continuity. It also removes a convenient excuse. Nandy […]
Beyond Faith In The BBC – Public Purpose, Democracy And The Future Of Media Policy
The recent Beebwatch discussion with Professor Lee Edwards of the Media Reform Coalition is useful because it reopens questions that are too often treated as […]
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 […]
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 […]
Frequently Asked Questions – BBC Charter Renewal and the Future of Public-Purpose Media
Better Media and Decentered Media are collecting views about BBC Charter Renewal. Here are our Frequently Asked Questions. Complete the survey here: https://forms.gle/URnPgckbYbFPkPFQ8 What is […]
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 […]
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 […]
Rebuilding Trust from the Middle – A Public Purpose Media Agenda for the UK
Ian Murray MP’s new role as UK Minister for Media offers a chance to build a public purpose media framework linking science, technology, business, health, […]