A Welcome Review of Radio – Now Broaden the Conversation
The Government’s announcement that it will review the future of radio is timely and necessary. Radio remains one of the most trusted and widely used […]
Social Value
What Does ‘Public Value’ Mean in a Commercial Media Landscape?
Radiocentre’s Force for Good report highlights commercial radio’s role in providing trusted news, companionship, and community support, but defining true public value requires more than […]
Unlocking the True Potential of Public Service Broadcasting – A Critical Look at the DCMS Tender on PSB Social Value
As corporate media giants continue to dominate the air waves and algorithms, amplifying division and misinformation, the call for community-driven, decentralised alternatives has never been […]
Reaffirming Social Gain – A Critical Evaluation of Ofcom’s ‘Measuring the Social Gain of Community Radio’ Report
The June 2025 report Measuring the Social Gain of Community Radio, commissioned by Ofcom and prepared by Wavehill, is a welcome and necessary intervention. It […]
Guarding the Storehouse – Resisting the Parasitical Erosion of Social Institutions
In many of the world’s liberal democracies—particularly those shaped by the Western Enlightenment tradition—social institutions have historically played a foundational role in upholding the common […]
How Do We Define the Social Value of Community Media
Community media and community-focused communications projects are essential in giving people the tools, spaces, and opportunities to tell our own stories, amplify marginalised voices, and […]
Social Gain and Community Media – A Missed Opportunity?
Community media has long been understood as more than just an alternative to commercial and public service broadcasting. At its core, it is meant to […]
Five Years On – Why the Social Value of Media Remains Fragmented
In 2019, When the Goal is Not to Scale outlined a strategy for resilient local, civic, and community media, advocating for a model rooted in […]
Why Community Radio’s Social Gain Matters More Than Ever
For years, Decentered Media has advocated for a robust and meaningful approach to social gain in community media. From the early days of Ofcom’s licensing […]
Understanding Social Gain Before Responding to the Wavehill Survey
Wavehill Communications has launched a survey to measure Social Gain in UK community radio. While this survey is an important opportunity to reflect on the […]
Applying Ruskin’s Principles to Community Media
John Ruskin’s ideas about the moral, social, and aesthetic value of creative work provide an inspiring lens through which to consider the role of community […]
Community Radio Consultation – Focusing on Social Gain
DCMS, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, has launched a consultation on analogue community radio licensing.[i] The purpose of the consultation is to […]
Community-Focussed Communication in the UK – Who Is Studying Impact and Social Gain?
I’ve been trying to pull together a list of researchers in the UK who are examining community media and the impact that forms of community-focussed […]
Decentered Media Podcast 092 – Community Radio Perspectives of the Pandemic
Podcast: Play in new window
http://decentered.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Decentered-Media-Podcast-092-2020-09-10-Mixdown.mp3Podcast: Play in new windowHow have community radio stations dealt with the pressure of the lockdown and responded to the pandemic? How has community radio […]
Questions About Leicester’s Lockdown Communications?
The Government’s announcement that Leicester is the first UK city to go back into full Lockdown are sensible when considered as a public health action. […]