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Regulation under the spotlight
159/Barry White
DATELINE: 24/10/07
This year's CPBF Annual General Meeting was held in London on 14 July and featured an in-depth discussion on the future of media regulation. The questions posed were: does convergence mean that we throw away the rulebook and forget all about regulating more particularly for public service values in broadcasting? Does the internet throw everything we stand for out of the window?
Introducing the debate, CPBF co-chair Tim Gopsill said the Campaign should assess whether its policies and attitudes need to be revised. When the CPBF was founded in 1979, it was a time of rapid technological change. The print and media unions, as well as media academics and campaigners, were concerned about the impact of computer technology and a number of industrial disputes took place. With change there was a public discussion about the future of media. Talk was of "cheap production", which would lead to a transformation, when almost anybody would be able to produce his or her own newspaper or magazine.
But now, 25 years later, it was worth reflecting on what the unions and the Campaign said at that time - that the media corporations would take control of this new technology. Only one new national newspaper, which started post 1979 - The Independent - remains today (although there has been a increase in the number of specialist magazines).
The same concerns were aired about the growth of the internet - the potential for democratisation of the media - a media open and accessible to all. But people were more sceptical, as the big media companies like Murdoch, AOL and Yahoo have either bought up new ventures, or started their own enterprises.
Whilst newspapers were for historical and political reasons self-regulating, there had been an acceptance that because of limited outlets, broadcasting needed be regulated. But with more outlets and technological change the argument was now that these matters should be left to market forces to decide. In effect the market would be the new regulator, much in the same way as newspapers operate.
Websites presented a new problem. They were difficult to regulate, many were run by big media owners and there were serious questions about how present regulatory systems should relate to so called "new media". These are some of the issues confronting the Campaign, which needs to lay down policy markers over the next year so that we can contribute effectively to public and political debate.
During the wide-ranging discussion that followed it was stated that we should look at the humane and social uses of new technology. We should not just accept it as the determining factor or driving force in a society that it somehow remains outside. Regulation was now more difficult, but it was not impossible. The past few years have seen not just de-regulation but rather re-regulation in favour of big corporate interests.
Reference was made to the strict regulation of political broadcasting especially during election periods and the lack of such regulation in internet broadcasting where "attack advertisements" are commonplace. Websites are also moving into television in a big way without the same regulatory structures faced by the main TV broadcasters - especially in news presentation. With public service broadcasting withering on the vine, there was a call for the Campaign to develop a principled opposition to a market-led communications system by promoting public service media at its core and greater democratic supervision of Government communications policy.
Over the next few months the CPBF National Council will look at questions which need to be addressed around the broad and linked areas of convergence, neo-liberalism and the best way to take these discussions forward to a wider audience with some form of publication. The CPBF web site and Free Press will keep you informed of developments.
Last modified: Wednesday, October 24, 2007
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Notices
Events & Announcements
World Press Freedom Day
More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station.
World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2013 is being marked in Britain by a rally to highlight the dangers facing journalists in Turkey and in this podcast, Nicholas Jones speaks to Barry White, Organiser at the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Sam Bamford, the TUC's policy officer for Eastern Europe and Africa about the importance of a campaign to highlight international press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Day rally is being staged by the National Union of Journalists at the NUJ head office, Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 on Thursday May 2, 6pm-8pm.
DATELINE: 27/4/13
UK launch of EU media campaign
DATELINE: 13/3/13
The UK launch of a 'European Citizens' Initiative' calling for EU rules against concentration of media power will take place on Thursday March 21 from 11:00am – 12:30pm in Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords, London. Guest speakers will include actor and activist Hugh Grant (pictured), media consultant Claire Enders, Professor Steven Barnett, Barry McCall (President of the NUJ) and Marc Gruber (Director of the European Federation of Journalists).
A European Citizens' Initiative is an official petition, like a Downing Street petition. If it succeeds in gathering a million signatures across the EU, the Commission is obliged to respond.
This petition calls for the EU to act to protect media pluralism and press freedom.
CPBF Annual General Meeting
DATELINE: 1/3/13
Make a note in your diary
Saturday 13 July 2013 from 10.00am
NUJ HQ, 308/312 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1.
Leveson, media ownership, CPBF future work.
DOWNLOAD FREEPRESS NOW
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Download Freepress in PDF, ePub or mobi format. Issue 194 now available.
MEDIA FOR ALL CONFERENCE
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Papers from the Media for All Conference
MEDIA MANIFESTO
DATELINE: 26/3/10
The media’s job is to inform and entertain us but we rely on them too to tell us what our rulers and representatives are up to. In the run-up to the Iraq war the government used spin and disinformation in the media to create panic and mislead people. The truth is coming out now, but we need stronger, more independent media to be able to scrutinise governments and make informed choices.
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Previous stories
Journalism Theory & Practice
Paul Foot award 2007
Does Islamophobia exist?
Beyond the veil
Orwell in Tribune: "As I Please" and other writings 1943-7
Are we moving from their media to ours?
What We Stand For
Text Size
Journalism gets younger and cheaper
The Angry Buzz: This Week and Current Affairs Television
Text Size
A Voice for Media Freedom
Media literacy reviews from Ofcom
