Stronger Together Needs Stronger Local Media
Belong’s new report, Stronger Together: What We Know and Must Do About Cohesion, joins a growing stockpile of reports diagnosing the same deteriorating conditions: economic […]
Social Cohesion
Britain Under Strain – Civic Communication Must Be Tested, Not Assumed
The publication of More in Common’s Britain Under Strain – The Broken Social Contract, Democratic Distrust and the Mainstreaming of Extremism has quickly become a […]
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, […]
‘Tackling Communalism in Leicester in a Transnational World’ – What’s the Role for Independent and Community Media?
The Better Together report confronts Leicester with difficult questions about social fragmentation, polarisation and the erosion of common ground. It describes how divisions centred on […]
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, […]
Public Purpose Media and the Conditions for Social Cohesion
This article examines the findings of Parallel Lives: 25 years on and considers how social cohesion is shaped by psychological, neighbourhood and narrative factors. It […]
The Migratory Social Network – Rethinking Migration Through Community Media
Migration is not a solitary act. It is not merely the movement of individuals from one place to another in search of work, refuge, or […]
Rethinking Community Media – From Fragmentation to Shared Civic Life
In a recent speech, the UK Prime Minister warned that Britain risks becoming an “island of strangers,” raising a sharp challenge to those working in […]
Strengthening Integration Through Community Media – A Response to the UK Government’s Immigration Reforms
The UK Government’s latest immigration strategy, detailed in the Restoring Control over the Immigration System White Paper (May 2025), sets out a significant recalibration of […]
Community Media and Social Cohesion – A Role in Rebuilding Trust
Recent events in Leicester have highlighted the challenges of maintaining social cohesion in an era where misinformation, online influence, and institutional distrust shape public perception. […]
Reclaiming Our Media – Why the UK Must Act Now to Rebuild a Resilient Media Ecosystem
Yesterday I attended the Ofcom Workplan 2025 meeting in London, where I raised concerns about the control of social media platforms by unfriendly oligarchs, the […]
Globalised Culture and the Challenge of Mythogenetic Pluralism
Joseph Campbell, in his exploration of mythology, often addressed the ‘mythogenetic’ process—the way myths are born, evolve, and shape human culture. His concern about the […]
Segregated or Integrated Identities for Social Cohesion
This set of notes was prompted by an exchange on X with Ted Cantle. Following our discussion, I have ordered Amartya Sen’s book Identity and […]
Social Cohesion Strategy Challenge – A Role for Community Media
As we reflect on the events of the summer of 2024, it is clear that fostering social cohesion requires a bold, inclusive, and collaborative approach. […]
Cultural Democracy – Anticipating Opposing Outcomes
The Future of Cultural Devolution in the UK is a comprehensive report produced by Culture Commons in collaboration with thirty partners from the UK’s creative, […]