The Welsh Government’s announcement of the Innovating Democracy Advisory Group is a welcome and necessary step. As democratic systems across the UK face growing challenges—from declining participation to disillusionment with centralised institutions—initiatives that promote inclusive, deliberative, and participatory governance are urgently needed.
At Decentered Media, we fully support the ambition to broaden participation and deepen the democratic life of Wales. The creation of this advisory group signals that the Welsh Government is taking these challenges seriously and is prepared to explore new, collaborative forms of engagement. We’re particularly encouraged by the inclusion of panel members with strong backgrounds in public participation, civic education, and community leadership.
The Omission of Community Media
However, we must raise a significant concern. Despite the broad and commendable scope of the advisory group, community media and community-focussed communications have once again been left out of the conversation at its inception.
Community media—whether in the form of local radio, grassroots journalism, participatory storytelling, or place-based digital networks—offers essential civic infrastructure. These platforms provide trusted, accessible, and culturally relevant spaces where people can reflect on their experiences, raise concerns, and engage with the issues that matter in their communities.
In many areas where formal political processes seem remote or inaccessible, community media provides the first and sometimes only meaningful entry point into public discourse. Its role in supporting representation, building trust, and facilitating civic learning is too important to ignore.
Related Skills Are Welcome, But Not Sufficient
To be clear, we acknowledge the strong credentials of the advisory group’s members. For example, Yvonne Murphy brings a compelling body of work through The Democracy Box and The Talking Shop, where storytelling and creative engagement are used to explore civic ideas. This kind of innovation is vital and inspiring.
Other members contribute valuable expertise in deliberative democracy, public engagement, youth advocacy, and civic participation. These are all crucial fields, and the group will benefit from their experience.
But none of the appointed members has specific experience in community media practice, policy, or development. This absence leaves a gap in the group’s ability to fully grasp how democratic engagement already functions in everyday community life—particularly in those communities that are least likely to participate through formal or institutional channels.
A Call for Rapid Appraisal
We believe it is essential that the advisory group, as part of its early work, conducts a rapid appraisal of the role that local and community media can play in supporting democratic innovation in Wales. This would ensure that grassroots communication platforms are recognised not simply as channels for public information, but as democratic spaces in their own right.
This should include:
- Mapping the existing community media landscape in Wales
- Engaging directly with community radio stations, local digital media platforms, and participatory media initiatives
- Considering how community-focussed communications can be embedded within broader participation strategies
At Decentered Media, we stand ready to contribute insights, evidence, and networks that can support this vital work. We believe that true democratic innovation requires a commitment to decentralised, socially accountable, and community-led communication.
Let’s Not Innovate Democracy by Overlooking Everyday Democratic Practices
Democracy doesn’t begin with policy—it begins with voice. It begins in the conversations people have with one another in local spaces, online platforms, and neighbourhood media. If we are serious about making participation inclusive and meaningful, we must bring these practices to the table from the outset—not as an afterthought, but as a foundation.
We welcome the Welsh Government’s efforts to strengthen democracy. But we also call for a more inclusive and reflexive approach—one that recognises and values the contributions that community media already makes to democratic life in Wales.