The Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the House of Commons has published its first report for the 2024–25 session, examining the state of the British film and high-end television (HETV) sectors. It’s an expansive and detailed document that captures a sector under pressure—technologically, financially, and creatively. But while it raises valid concerns about funding, skills development, and industry resilience, the report ultimately reaffirms a globalised business model of the “creative industries” that leaves fundamental questions of cultural democracy and civic purpose largely unaddressed.
At its heart, the report celebrates the success of British film and HETV as an economic asset—particularly through inward investment from global streaming platforms and studios. The emphasis on soft power and IP value as national assets is clear, with independent British films and series positioned as a developmental ladder into the wider international marketplace. Domestic productions are discussed less as intrinsic expressions of community and culture, and more as stepping-stones to global exposure and career progression.
There’s a certain pragmatism in this approach, and it’s understandable why policymakers want to leverage Britain’s international reputation for excellence in screen production. But we must ask: who is this system designed to serve? And what are we missing when we fail to consider the cultural and democratic function of media as a form of public participation, not just economic development?
Despite noting the critical state of independent cinema, the report offers little in the way of a purposeful reimagining of British cinema as a tool of civic self-determination or cultural democracy. Independent film is recognised for its role in training talent and contributing to “soft power,” but not for its capacity to give voice to marginalised communities, to reflect the complexity of place-based life in Britain, or to foster democratic conversation in a plural and fragmented society.
This gap in the report’s vision is telling. Publicly funded media, whether through tax incentives, development schemes, or heritage support, is framed not as a public good in itself, but as a stimulus for private growth. If cinema is supported because it can attract inward investment or create exportable IP, then we risk replicating a model that treats culture as a commodity, rather than as a living, participatory and socially-embedded practice.
At Decentered Media, we believe it’s time for a different perspective. We argue for a policy reorientation that puts people and communities first. If public money is being invested in media development—whether in film, television, radio or online journalism—then it should be clearly accountable to the public interest and to social value.
Community radio, for example, remains largely invisible in this report. Yet it is one of the most resilient and socially engaged forms of media in the UK. It fosters connection, provides a platform for local voices, builds participatory skills, and supports wellbeing and inclusion at a grassroots level. It too should be supported as part of the public media ecology. Just as independent cinemas are cultural anchors for local communities, community radio stations are civic infrastructure for social learning, storytelling and expression.
We need a revised public media policy that recognises the legitimacy of civic and community-centred media as essential to democratic life. This includes establishing local media hubs, where independent cinemas, community radio stations, local news providers, and civic digital platforms can work together in integrated, sustainable ways. These hubs should be:
- Devolved in governance and funding structures.
- Citizen-focused, empowering people to participate in making and sharing media.
- Socially responsive, tackling issues like isolation, representation, and inequality.
- Interlinked, building partnerships between cultural institutions, education providers, civil society, and social enterprises.
Rather than treating public media as a pipeline to global competitiveness, we must treat it as a foundation for cultural resilience, civic empowerment, and inclusive democratic dialogue.
The current policy landscape is not fit for purpose if it only values media through its export value or investor appeal. It is time to reclaim the public interest in media. That means rethinking our priorities, rebalancing our support, and investing in media spaces where communities can speak, be heard, and shape the stories that matter to them.
We call on the government to revise its media and cultural policy frameworks, to include clear support for civic-led media development, including community radio, community cinema, and local journalism, and to create a joined-up strategy that builds media for social benefit, not just economic return.
The wellbeing of our communities, the strength of our democracy, and the diversity of our cultural life depend on it.