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 […]
Foundational Media
Common Ground, Foundational Media, and the Future of Social Cohesion
Social cohesion is often discussed as though it is something that happens after the “real” work of public services is done. Housing, health, education, policing, […]
Decentered Media Podcast – Foundational Media and the Problem of Polarisation
Podcast: Play in new window
https://decentered.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Decentered-Media-Podcast-009-2025-12-29-Mixdown.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowIn this episode of the Decentered Media Podcast, I am joined by Shumaila Jaffery, a journalist and doctoral researcher whose work […]
Media Reform as Civic Renewal
UK media reform is being shaped by Ofcom’s Review of Broadcast Regulation and the BBC Charter Renewal process. This blog frames reform as civic renewal, […]
Foundational Media – Opening a Conversation About the Stories that Hold Everyday Life Together
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 […]
Public Service Media, Foundational Economics, and the Question We Must Ask Before BBC Charter Renewal
This blog explores new research arguing that public service media should be recognised as essential national infrastructure, comparable to transport or healthcare. It highlights how […]
When a National Broadcaster Starts to Look Like British Leyland
The BBC’s leadership turmoil signals a deeper, systemic failure. This post compares today’s BBC to British Leyland’s decline: centralised control, weak product discipline, factional culture, […]
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, […]
Welcoming a Timely Intervention on Local Media – and Setting the Bar Higher
The Challenges and Opportunities for UK Local Media report offers a vital assessment of declining local journalism and fragmented media policy. Its call for coordination […]
Reclaiming Media from Parasitical Practices – A Call for Foundational Reform
The current media landscape in the United Kingdom and beyond is increasingly characterised by extractive and manipulative practices that prioritise commercial or ideological gain over […]
Reclaiming the Civic Centre – What the UK Creative Industries Strategy Still Misses
I’ve contributed to the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s inquiry into the UK Government’s Creative Industries Sector Vision. The consultation process is […]
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, […]
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 […]
Welcoming Mutualisation – But Can We Do Better Than a National BBC?
The recent proposal from Common Wealth and the Media Reform Coalition to mutualise the BBC represents a timely and much-needed intervention in the debate about […]
Rethinking British Cinema – From Soft Power to Civic Empowerment
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 […]