When Orthodoxies Fail – Rebuilding Trust in News
Much of the public discussions about the decline of trust in mainstream news focuses on polarisation, misinformation, or changing audience behaviour. The recent Triggernometry podcast […]
Accountability
Navigating the Grey Zone – Citizen Reporting, Influencers, and the Civic Work of Media
How did the Manchester Piccadilly Gardens brawl highlight the grey zone between citizen reporting and influencer livestreams? What responsibilities around consent and dignity apply when […]
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 […]
Free Speech, Community Radio, and Editorial Responsibility – A Balancing Act
The Office for Students (OfS) has recently issued Freedom of Speech guidance (2025) that takes a “very strong” approach to permitting lawful speech on campus. […]
Why Local News Needs Accountability – Not Just Reach
In a recent post on X, Professor Ted Cantle made a simple but crucial observation: “News reporting has to have a stronger element of accountability […]
Welcoming Ofcom’s Report on Misinformation – The Role of Community Media in Building Democratic Communications Futures
Ofcom’s latest report, “Co-creating Ways to Navigate and Mitigate Against Mis and Disinformation”, offers a timely and insightful contribution to the ongoing debate about how […]
Who Really Owns the Mic? Accountability, Media Power, and the Future of Civic Communication
In a recent interview on Triggernometry, writer Richard Miniter offered a refreshing shift in the way we think about politics, institutions, and civic life. Moving […]
Expecting the Social Media Apocalypse
The influence of social media platforms in shaping public discourse and social interactions is unmatched in the digital age. Their proprietors, such as Elon Musk […]
Accountability Media
Elon Musk’s interventions in British politics have sparked significant concerns regarding the accountability of social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter). Several key issues have […]
Democratic Deficit – Reforming UK Media
What’s Going on with X? The tenure of Elon Musk as the owner of X has sparked a heated debate between advocates of free speech […]
Community Media Fostering Freedom of Expression
Freedom of expression serves as the cornerstone of any democratic society, playing a pivotal role in the development and sustenance of community media in the […]
Community Media – Practical Governance
Effective governance is a cornerstone of success for any community media project, whether it’s a community newspaper or a radio station. Governance encompasses more than […]
Community Media Good Governance Principles
Ofcom, the communications regulator in the UK, expects community radio stations to adhere to good governance practices.[i] Community radio stations, like other voluntary service and […]
Ethical Values of Participative Community Media – Some Notes
This is the first draft of a set of notes in which I sketch some thoughts about the ethical principles I try to keep in […]
Are Anti-Local Media Policies Harming the Pandemic Response
The government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic has been characterised by a reliance on faulty assumptions about so-called herd immunity, and by an obsession with […]