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 last forty years might be shuddering to a halt. If this is the case, then in what form will a new, more sustainable model emerge? I would like to think that there is growing recognition that the real backbone of our lives is not speculative finance or headline-grabbing tech, but the everyday systems that quietly keep us going: housing, care, transport, food, water, education, and energy.
This perspective has been developed as the “Foundational Economy” by the Foundational Economy Collective, who describe these basic services as the collectively consumed infrastructure of everyday life and the basis of citizenship rights.[1]
If we accept that there is a foundational layer to the economy, then it follows that there is also a foundational layer to communication. Without reliable, trustworthy and shared spaces of communication, it becomes much harder to make sense of what is happening in those essential systems, to hold decision-makers to account, or to work together on changes that matter. This is where the idea of Foundational Media comes in.
The Decentered Media Podcast is opening up a space to explore this idea. The aim is to treat media and communication as part of our social infrastructure, rather than as an afterthought of the market, or an ideological battleground, or as a platform for tribal antagonism. In practice, this means asking how news, discussion, cultural expression and everyday storytelling help people navigate the foundational society and economy, and what needs to change in the way we design, fund and regulate media so that it supports social wellbeing rather than undermining it.
From Foundational Economy to Foundational Media
The Foundational Economy framework shifts attention from economic growth indicators towards the quality and fairness of everyday services. It asks how well the basics of life are secured, and for whom. In Wales, for example, the foundational economy is now recognised in government policy as a crucial part of economic strategy, with programmes and inquiries exploring how to make these sectors more resilient, fair and locally grounded.[2]
Foundational Media extends this logic to the systems of communication that connect people to those services. If we think of media as foundational, we are less interested in audience share or advertising impressions, and more interested in whether people can access clear, honest information about the services they depend on; whether they have ways to be heard when those services fail; and whether there are shared narratives that help hold together a sense of social responsibility.
This is not a nostalgic call to return to a particular broadcasting era. Instead, it is an attempt to ask: in a mixed media environment of platforms, public service media, community and independent outlets, what combination of institutions and practices actually helps people live decent lives, exercise their rights and negotiate change? And what would it mean for UK social and economic policy to treat those communicative functions as essential rather than optional?
Why This Matters for Social and Policy Development in the UK
Lately, foundational sectors have been pressured by austerity, privatisation, marketisation and fragmented governance. The Foundational Economy literature documents how this has weakened the material infrastructure and providential services that support a civilised life, while often leaving people with little say over the changes that affect them most.[3]
At the same time, the media environment has become more polarised, more concentrated in ownership, and more dependent on advertising and platform logics that reward outrage or distraction rather than careful civic dialogue. Local and place-based media have struggled, especially in areas already dealing with economic and social strain. The result is a double deficit: services that feel increasingly distant, and communicative systems that do not always help people navigate or influence them.
Foundational Media is one way of naming and addressing this double deficit. It invites policymakers, practitioners and residents to consider media as part of the same social contract that governs water, energy, care and housing. Just as the Foundational Economy advocates argue that these services should be organised around citizenship, security and shared benefit rather than narrow market criteria,[4] Foundational Media asks whether our communication systems are organised to support citizenship, social learning and accountability.
This is not to imply that the foundational economy does not support open and responsible markets. In many ways, the problems with our media are the result of market concentration and centralisation. If everything is owned and run by a few vertically integrated conglomerates, we lose diversity of supply, local accountability, and a return for local communities. Extractive conglomerations are very effective at promoting technical efficiency, but they lack roots in neighbourhoods and have no stake in the needs of the people who form different communities.
For policy development in the UK, this raises practical questions. How might local and devolved governments incorporate communication infrastructure into foundational strategies and wellbeing frameworks? How can regulators, funders and public bodies recognise and support forms of media that help people understand and shape the systems they rely on, rather than focusing solely on globalised and transnational content markets purporting to offer consumer choice?
How can civic, community and independent media be understood as partners in social planning rather than as peripheral commentators?
Questions the Foundational Economy Model Raises for Media
To open up this conversation on the Decentered Media Podcast, it is useful to work with questions rather than ready-made answers. Below is a set of questions that the Foundational Economy model raises when we apply it to communication and media, with an eye to wider social and policy development in the UK.
- What counts as “foundational” in media and communication? If the foundational economy is defined by essential goods and services that underpin everyday life, which media functions meet that test? Are we talking about local news, public service broadcasting, community and co-operative outlets, public information, cultural spaces, or something else? How might a clearer definition help shape funding, regulation and public expectations?
- How should media be organised if we treat it as part of social infrastructure rather than a discretionary market? Foundational Economy thinking emphasises collective consumption, citizenship rights and long-term stewardship.[5] What organisational forms in media – public, civic, mutual, third sector, hybrid – are best placed to align with these principles? What risks arise if foundational media functions are left entirely to commercial or platform logics?
- How can UK policy frameworks recognise media as foundational without turning everything into a state-led service? The Welsh experience suggests that governments can identify foundational sectors and support them through targeted programmes, procurement strategies and regulatory attention.[2] How might similar approaches be applied to media in different parts of the UK while respecting editorial independence, pluralism and freedom of expression?
- What measures of value make sense for Foundational Media? The Foundational Economy debate has challenged narrow measures of productivity and GDP by focusing on wellbeing, security and access.[3] If we apply this logic to media, what indicators matter? Trust, reach across different social groups, usefulness in navigating services, contribution to public reasoning, or something else? How might these measures influence public funding, commissioning or support schemes?
- How does Foundational Media relate to digital infrastructure and platform governance? Broadband networks, mobile connectivity and online platforms now mediate much of our foundational consumption, from banking to benefits to health appointments. To what extent should digital connectivity and platform access be treated as part of the foundational economy, and how might that change debates about net neutrality, data governance, open data protocols, misinformation and platform accountability in the UK?
- What roles can civic and community-led media play within a foundational framework? Foundational thinking often emphasises local rootedness, fair work and non-extractive practices.[2] How can small-scale, place-based and interest-based media initiatives contribute to these goals, and what forms of support – financial, regulatory, infrastructural – would they need? How might co-operatives, social enterprises and community organisations be recognised as part of the foundational ecosystem rather than as side projects?
- How can media better reflect the everyday experiences of people who work in foundational sectors? Many people employed in care, retail, transport, utilities and other foundational fields rarely see their experiences represented in depth. What would it look like for media to centre their knowledge and perspectives as a regular part of coverage, rather than only during crises or industrial disputes? How might this influence public understanding and policy debates about these sectors?
- How do we ensure that Foundational Media supports people grouped by protected characteristics fairly and respectfully? Foundational services and media systems do not impact everyone equally. How should we design foundational media approaches that pay attention to sex-based rights, disability, age, race, belief and other protected characteristics, ensuring that communication systems help people navigate services without stereotyping or exclusion? What regulatory and ethical standards are needed to support this?
- What forms of public participation are appropriate in the governance of foundational media? The foundational economy literature raises questions about who has voice and power in decisions about essential services.[4] How might these concerns translate into governance models for media, such as citizen panels, user councils, local compacts, participatory budgeting or representation on boards? How far should audiences and communities be involved in shaping priorities, formats and accountability mechanisms?
- What would it mean, in concrete terms, to “fix the foundations” of UK media over the next decade? If we imagine a ten to fifteen year horizon, what changes in infrastructure, funding, regulation, training and collaboration would be necessary for media to function as a genuine foundational service? How would we know we were moving in the right direction, and which experiments should be tried now to learn what works?
Joining the Conversation on the Decentered Media Podcast
The Decentered Media Podcast is inviting people who are interested in these questions to join recorded conversations that will be shared publicly. You might work in a foundational sector such as health, education, housing, transport, food, care or utilities. You might be involved with local, independent, community, civic or public interest media. Likewise, you might work in policy, regulation, research or civil society. Or you might simply be someone who cares about how the basics of life are organised and how we talk about them.
Each session will be a structured conversation rather than a debate, aiming to surface practical insights, challenge-led experiences and possible directions for change. The intention is not to reach a single conclusion, but to build a richer picture of what Foundational Media could mean in different contexts and how it might support more resilient, fair and accountable foundational systems in the UK.
If you would like to take part, you can book a conversation slot via the Decentered Media Bookings Page.
Once you have booked, you will receive information about the recording process and a short set of prompts to help shape the discussion. You do not need to be an expert; curiosity and a willingness to reflect on your own experience in relation to the foundational economy and media are what matter most.
Over time, these conversations will form a shared resource: a kind of listening archive that brings together practitioners, residents, researchers and policymakers. The hope is that this can inform more grounded policy thinking, support practical experiments, and help make the case that media and communication are not luxuries but part of the foundations on which a decent society depends.
Endnotes
[1] The Foundational Economy Collective, Foundational Economy: The Infrastructure of Everyday Life, Manchester University Press, 2018 and new edition 2022.
[2] Welsh Government, “The foundational economy” and related policy materials, including Foundational Economy Challenge Fund and subsequent evidence papers and inquiries.
[3] Karel Williams et al., “Fixing the foundations? The foundational economy in Wales” and related analyses of how foundational sectors underpin employment, businesses and wellbeing while remaining poorly understood.
[4] Foundational Economy Collective, “The Foundational Economy book” and associated discussions of citizen rights, collective consumption and the degradation of foundational services under privatisation and outsourcing.
[5] Calafati, L. et al., “The foundational economy: Focusing on what matters” and subsequent work distinguishing between foundational economy as empirical reality and “foundational thinking” as a thought-style for social-ecological transformation.