FREENo 208 Autumn 2016£1 Journal Press of the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom

REFERENDUM

UNFAIR TO3 CORBYN, THE PROOF BBC ‘mouthpiece How they for right-wing press’ got it all so wrong 4 POINTLESSNESS THE EU referendum campaign turned the British media Tories quarrelling.­ This excluded any more serious OF TIT-FOR-TAT on their heads. The maligned and biased right-wing ­consideration of the range of economic and social Referendum coverage popular press got it right while the revered public issues raised in the referendum. It also excluded the let people down broadcasters got it completely wrong. reasons for which many people actually voted: the rare The exposure of its failings came as the BBC was chance to register their protest. already facing an uncertain future through the process The requirement for balance meant that as soon of renewing its royal charter and licence fee agreement. as one side said something, the broadcasters were It has led to calls from among supporters of public obliged to find somebody – anybody – to state the service broadcasting that it should be made more opposite; even when the facts were clear, they had to ­independent of government and accountable to the ­manufacture a difference. public it supposedly serves. At the same time the broadcasters have struggled to Two new reports – one from a high-powered report Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party. commission led by film-maker Lord Puttnam, the other Corbyn and his supporters are outside the consensus from the campaign group Save Our BBC – have urged and the scope of the BBC’s comprehension,­ so they wide-ranging changes to the way have to be reported as if they the BBC is governed. were terrorists. The assumption The public broadcasting that they are wrong justifies the 8 system was crafted to cater acceptance of all the smears and GREAT STORIES, for the whole community. Its lies from their opponents, and production of news is bound their presumption to lead the NO REVENUE by law to be balanced, impartial Labour Party means they must be Start-up flop shows and fair. To achieve this, the patronised and sneered at as well. marketers need broadcasters stuck to – indeed Make the BBC The only difference is that the they helped manufacture – a more accountable BBC got the referendum wrong vision too national consensus. This posited PAGES 4–5 by accident but Jeremy Corbyn Westminster as the centre of on purpose. the political universe, which was passable through the “For too long broadcasters have gravitated towards decades of centre left/centre right consensus politics. a perceived centre ground,” says Des Freedman, With the EU referendum it fell apart, as the majority joint leader of the Inquiry into the Future for Public vote flatly rejected the consensus. Referenda offer Service Television chaired by Lord Puttnam. “Instead of themselves to a protest vote and the outcome on promoting a multitude of voices and taking risks, they June 23 was not so much about Europe as the UK. have too often clung to the familiar and acceptable. It was hardly surprising that the broadcasters were “There remains a necessary role for public service so shocked by the result. In applying their notion of television to act as the counterweight to a commercial For all campaign news and “balance” they missed the truth by miles. system more likely to chase ratings than to cater to its info go to cpbf.org.uk For one thing, they reduced the story to that of viewers’ needs. The challenge is to devise ways in which Email: the civil war inside the Conservative Party. Time and television can relate to the diverse requirements of [email protected] again viewers were faced with pro- and anti-EU audiences without imposing a false consensus.” JANINA STRUK Continuity MEDIA DEMOCRACY CPBF is organising a string of for media conferences in nine different cities from October to December. Each will run over freedom two weekday evenings and will include a panel discussion THE CPBF’S popular national organiser Barry followed by media training White has retired, after devoting 19 years, workshop the following mostly voluntarily, to the cause of media reform evening. All begin at 7pm. and democracy. MANCHESTER: Future of the Taking over from him is Josef Davies-Coates, a BBC. 12-13 October campaigner with a different style but the same Handover: Barry White aims to reclaim the media from the global corpo- and Josef Davies-Coates GLASGOW: Mainstream Media rations and fight for independent media that can pictured after the CPBF Bias. 26-27 October respond to the community’s real needs. annual meeting in July. BRIGHTON: Media Diversity. Barry White became the full-time CPBF 2-3 November organiser in 1997 when he took early retirement Josef Davies-Coates (right) is an advocate for co-operative­ LEEDS: Environmental Issues. from the mega union Unison, where he had been media, and has been a paid organiser for the Media 9-10 November a field campaigns and publicity officer, helping Reform Coalition, to which the CPBF is affiliated. The MRC local activists to develop media campaigns to co-ordinates the work of various media reform groups NEWCASTLE: Technological boost their union work. and Josef was charged with initiating contacts with other Innovation. 16-17 November civil society groups. There was a send-off party for him after the OXFORD: Class in the He launched the monthly Reclaim the Media CPBF AGM in London in July, when members and Mainstream Media. meet-ups in London, at which people from a range of friends paid tribute to his work. He said: “Over 23-24 November the years I have been lucky to be involved with activities gather to swap ideas and experiences in an LEICESTER: Press Barons, so many marvellous people pushing boulders informal atmosphere. 30 November-1 December uphill to get truly independent media and I’m so Last year’s meet-ups culminated in a Media Democracy pleased the work is going on.” Festival last December, and both monthly meetings BIRMINGHAM: The Future of As well as in the CPBF, Barry was actively and festival will be repeated this year. This time it will Investigative Journalism. involved in the work of the National Union of be the culmination of a nation-wide series of media 7-8 December reform meetings organised by the CPBF and Real Media, Journalists, particularly its international work. Finally there will be a the Manchester-based co-op of journalists dedicated He was the NUJ’s delegate to the European concluding Reclaim the Media to public interest journalism and challenging mass Federation of Journalists and worked in Turkey, event in London on Saturday media distortion. where numerous journalists are arrested and 10 December. Details to be In each city the format will be an evening meeting on jailed. Barry White has been an official observer announced. an aspect of media reform, followed next day by media at a number of trials and helped to organise AAFor more details and venues international solidarity. training workshops. See panel right. A go to realmedia.press A See below ... then they came for the journalists

BARRY WHITE outlines persecution then issued a decree ordering the closure of 45 daily newspapers, 15 magazines and 29 of media workers in Turkey since the 131 media organisations, including three news publishing houses. agencies, 16 television channels, 23 radio stations, Three hundred TRT staff were suspended attempted coup in July. and more than 50 journalists arrested and jailed without due process. Because of the purges of THE BOTCHED coup against Recep Tayyip lawyers and judges, many believe that fair trials Erdogan in July gave the President of Turkey a of them will be impossible. green light for massive purges. Within a week It was bad enough before. In May an Istanbul more than 6,000 military and 9,000 police court sentenced Can Dündar, editor-in-chief of officers, 3,000 judges, 30,000 teachers and 1,500 the big daily paper Cumhuriyet, to five years university deans had been sacked or suspended. and 10 months in prison for publishing a story, All had been supposedly linked to a movement with photos, about Turkey supplying arms to ISIS supporting Fethullah Gulen, an exiled Islamic terrorists in Syria. The story infuriated President cleric accused of instigating the uprising. Erdogan and Can Dündar was charged with During the coup attempt rebel soldiers took espionage, aiding a terrorist organisation and control of the state broadcaster TRT, the private disclosing classified documents. broadcasters CNN-Turk and Kanal D and the daily He was bailed pending appeal and fled to newspaper Hurriyet. In TRT’s Ankara studios, Barry White has been an observer at numerous Germany. In his farewell editorial he wrote news anchor Tijen Karas was forced to read a trials of journalists in Turkey as a delegate that he would not return since the emergency statement at gunpoint. Several journalists were from the European Federation of Journalist, powers assumed by Erdogan since the coup attacked and at least one journalist, Mustafa where he was for nine years the delegate from meant he would not get a fair hearing. “From Cambaz of the daily Yeni Safak, was killed. the National Union of Journalists. The trials now on, what we face would not be the court This was just the start. On 19 July Turkey’s included that of Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, but the government,” he said. “To trust such a media regulatory body revoked the licences of editors on the daily newspaper Cumhuriyet. judiciary would be like putting one’s head under 24 radio and TV channels accused of having links As an international observer Barry White was the guillotine.” A to the Gulen movement, giving the state control interviewed outside the courthouse in Istanbul A To support the solidarity campaign with of all but a few media outlets. The government during the trial. Turkish journalists go to: bit.ly/IFJ-Turkey. 2 Free Press Autumn 2016 BIAS Corbyn coverage : ‘BBC was a mouthpiece for right wing press’

THE EXTENT of the staggering bias in the THE REPORT highlights remarks by the BBC’s reporting of Jeremy Corbyn has been confirmed by research since he became Labour leader a chief political editor Laura Kuenssburg to year ago. show the emphasis on Corbyn’s apparent Even the best of the national media have unreasonableness and stubbornness. She been unfair to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, said on a news bulletin: according to research by the Media Reform “The danger in all of this is while Coalition. Researchers analysed reports carried by they’re engaged, locked in this complete TV news bulletins and major news websites and battle, with him refusing to back down, found that most of them were loaded. that so much damage is done to the Researchers examined 465 online news items Labour party that it could take them from eight websites and 40 bulletins on BBC One years to recover from this if they and ITV. actually recover from this at all.” It is not surprising that predominantly No question of the MPs backing conservative national newspapers would adopt down apparently. a negative editorial view of Corbyn. But TV news providers are subject to rules on impartiality and balance, and the news websites supposedly lacked the historical hostility to the left. But the persistent imbalance in favour of sources critical of Jeremy Corbyn was the case The report concluded: “This research has this respect was the repeated way in which across both the online and television sample. uncovered systematic failings in the way that supporters of the Labour leadership were labelled Online news stories overall were almost twice mainstream news organisations covered the with pejorative terms that suggested extreme as likely to be critical compared to those that emergent Labour leadership crisis. positions, with the implication that Labour rebel were supportive. The report stated there was “a “It offers further evidence that the internet MPs were, by contrast, moderate in both their marked and persistent imbalance in favour of offers no boon or automatic solution to problems political views and actions.” A sources critical of Jeremy Corbyn, the issues that A THE BBC responded: “We are confident they sought to highlight, and the arguments our coverage of Labour’s unprecedented en they advanced”. masse frontbench resignation was impartial”. The BBC evening news bulletins gave A spokesperson­ added that the Media Reform nearly twice as much unchallenged airtime to Justin Coalition was a “vested interest group” and had sources critical of Corbyn compared to those Schlosberg: acknowledged that the sample did not reflect the that supported him. In contrast, it found the BBC chose to breadth of the BBC’s news coverage. ITV evening news bulletins, and the BBC’s slander us Justin Schlosberg, chair of the Media Reform online news were “relatively balanced” in Coalition and author of the report said the their reporting. charge of vested interest was “completely The most balanced outlets overall were those unsubstantiated … The coalition was founded by that did not operate on newspaper platforms: world-renowned professors with the research the Independent, International Business Times carried out by academics at Birkbeck and (IB Times) and Huffington Post. associated with concentrated media power. Goldsmiths, University of London. With the BBC the report says: “What was Though newspapers are under increasing “Rather than engage constructively with that particularly striking was the degree to which the commercial pressure, their audience reach across research, which is what we appealed for in the Labour leadership and its supporters were persis- platforms is, in most cases, larger than was ever report, they chose to slander us. This is exactly tently talked about in terms that emphasised achieved in the pre-digital era. the problem: the BBC has become a mouthpiece hostility, intransigence and extreme positions.” “What was perhaps of most concern in for the right wing press.” Still the same old story REPORTING OF Jeremy Corbyn has They found that in 52 per cent was thoroughly delegitimised as a Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail, the been biased throughout his Labour of articles about the Labour leader political actor from the moment he Evening Standard, the Independent, leadership, with the new MRC his own views were not included – became a prominent candidate and the Daily Mirror and the Guardian. report merely confirming one that while in a further 22 per cent they even more so after he was elected In terms of tone, fewer than 10 showed how bad it was at the start. were “present but taken out of as party leader,” said project director per cent of articles were judged by Three-quarters of newspaper context” or otherwise distorted. In Bart Cammaerts. the researchers to be positive, while stories in the first two months just 15 per cent of the 812 articles “Denying such an important more than half were antagonistic or of his leadership either distorted analysed, Jeremy Corbyn’s views political actor a voice or distorting critical. Around a third had a neutral or failed to represent his actual were present but challenged, and in his views and ideas is highly tone. 28 per cent of articles analysed views on subjects, a study by only 11 per cent were they present problematic.” were based on anti-Corbyn Labour researchers at the London School of without alteration. The papers in the study were party sources, while 23 per cent Economics discovered. “Our analysis shows that Corbyn The Sun, The Daily Express, The were based on pro-Corbyn sources. Autumn 2016 Free Press 3 BROADCASTING Objectivity overboard!

BRITAIN’S BROADCASTERS abandoned object­ LABOUR Leader Jeremy Cameron (who was in 7.2 of appearances was 2.4 ivity in their coverage of the EU referendum Corbyn was severely per cent of all politicians’ per cent – well behind campaign, according to research at Cardiff downplayed in the appearances) but also Conservative sources. University. Instead they resorted to impartiality. coverage of the EU Boris Johnson (the most This lack of coverage The difference was clear, between the referendum, according to reported of all on 8.7 might help to explain the ­responsible juxtaposition of rational arguments the research. Although per cent), Nigel Farage supposed lack of activity and the thoughtless repetition of tit-for-tat. The public were confronted by a blizzard of facts and leader of the opposition, (third on 4.4 per cent) in the campaign for which figures, with exaggerated claims from both sides. he featured in TV bulletins and George Osborne right-wing Labour MPs Some statistics were inevitably more credible a long way behind not (4.1 percent). attacked him so fiercely in than others, but broadcasters were afraid to just Prime Minister David Jeremy Corbyn’s share the aftermath. make a judgement. Cardiff University carried out a content challenged or contextualised by journalists, such A third of items involving statistics were analysis of evening news bulletins on the five as questioning the claim made by Leave that the simply tit-for-tat exchanges between rival main channels over ten weeks. They found that UK paid £350 million a week to Brussels. In other camps, where journalists did not intervene. half of the 571 news items examined related to words, three quarters were not. “Without a great deal of prior knowledge, it the process of the referendum itself, rather than would be very difficult for audiences to make the issues at stake. There was also a focus on It was difficult for sense of these claims and counter-claims, Conservative party infighting. regardless of their veracity,” the report says. What was most lacking was any sense of audiences to make sense Broadcasters have to abide by “due impar- scrutiny by non-partisan sources. And since 40 tiality” guidelines but this does not necessarily per cent of items featured a statistical claim of these claims and mean they have to be strictly balanced when about the EU, the burden of independent counter-claims, regardless reporting facts and figures. The editorial goals of scrutiny was left to journalists. accuracy and objectivity should have involved About a quarter of these items were either of their veracity challenging or the claims.

with a more progressive funding mechanism via For a BBC independent, council tax or general taxation. The government’s white paper in May proposed that as many as half of the accountable and proud new board of up to 14 people would be government appointments. The BBC’s director general, Tony Hall, has THE BBC’S independence from government must be entirely independent of government. said he wants no more than five non-executive be reinforced, according to an inquiry chaired The Future for Public Service Television report members to be government-appointed. Puttnam by Oscar-winning film producer Lord Puttnam. also said the BBC licence fee should be abolished report says there should be none. Appointments to the corporation’s board should “as soon as is practically possible” and replaced The report says we need to democratise the BBC and ensure it has a solid foundation for the future. That means more digital engagement, Puttnam’s recommendations include … a new and transparent funding regime, a new A A The licence fee should be should strengthen in Scotland – the “Scottish constitutional settlement in law, and a properly replaced with a more progres- their commitment to Six” –and in Wales and independent appointments system. sive funding mechanism ‘public service’ Northern Ireland. “ITV’s commitment to public service should A such as a household fee or A ITV should restore a be strengthened especially in regional television supplement to council tax higher level of regional news General and current affairs programming”. A A A decisions on funding and current affairs. A Commercial pay-TV A new fund for public service content should should be taken by an inde- platforms should pay the be established, available to cultural institu- pendent advisory body, Diversity public service operators to tions and small organisations that aren’t already A not government A Public service TV commis- carry their channels, which engaged in commercial media or broadcasting. A A the royal charter should sioning and editorial policy are the most popular and This would be funded by a tax on the largest be abolished and the corpo- would be covered by bring in big audiences. internet service providers and commercial A ration established as a the requirements of the A The big corporations and digital services. statutory body Equality Act service providers should Pay-TV platforms such as Sky and Virgin A A A the BBC board should A Public service broad- pay a levy for a Fund for Media should pay ‘”retransmission fees” for be entirely independent casters should ring-fence Public Service Content to carrying public service channels such as the BBC from government, with its spending on ethnic offer grants to cultural and ITV, which are the most popular and bring in members appointed by an minority productions. institutions and small big audiences. A independent body A Spending in the devolved organisations not engaged in Des Freedman, joint leader of the inquiry, said: nations of the UK should be commercial operations. “Public broadcasters should continue to receive A Other PSB channels controlled by commissioners A Public service channels special privileges, such as onscreen prominence A A Channel 4 should not in the nations. should be guaranteed and universal funding (in the case of the BBC). A be privatised A There should be dedicated prominence on electronic “They will have to earn these privileges, A A ITV and Channel 5 national BBC news bulletins programme guides. however, raising their game and generating truly innovative and relevant content.” 4 Free Press Autumn 2016 ENGAGE WITH US, CAMPAIGNERS URGE BBC THE BBC must be made accountability to it and to conducted by the campaign accountable to its owners, a licence fee payers in general. group Save Our BBC. hard-hitting report demanded Licence fee payers should Strategic director Peter in September. And we are all its be automatic members of Blackman said: “From the owners, says the report. audience councils for all the wide-ranging submissions Paying the licence fee BBC’s channels, services, to our Inquiry, we conclude effectively makes viewers national, regional and local that the licence fee payers and listeners the shareholders radio stations using online expect the BBC to be more of the BBC; not that you democratic structure. platforms with views and accountable to them and would know from the way it The report suggests a new information fed to and from the engage more with them. carries on. online Licence Fee Payers Licence Fee Payers Forum. “We call upon the BBC, While it does have audience Forum should be established The report comes from an BBC Trust, the Government panels that it consults about to be the conduit with independent inquiry – The and Ofcom to work with us reactions to programmes, the corporation; all BBC public and the BBC; what role and others to devise the it does not have any kind of Board Members must have in oversight and governance?, necessary mechanisms.” MPs’ go-ahead for plans to weaken the BBC THE COMMONS culture committee has nodded On the proposals to contract out all BBC money, yet the committee does not oppose through the plans to weaken the BBC in the output except news, which the CPBF and others it outright. white paper published by the government maintain will destroy its production base and CPBF national council member, Tom O’Malley in May. weaken the foundations of the whole industry, said: “The committee has missed the opportunity Backbench committees’ job is to scrutinise the committee says defiantly that it will “keep a to nail the fundamental flaws in the govern- government’s conduct, but the culture commit- watching brief”. ment’s proposal for the BBC. tee’s response to the White Paper is to accept all It also says that the plan to use licence fee “Instead of pressing for better regulation, its important points. money to fund local newsgathering by other an end to the idea of contracting out the bulk It accepts that the BBC’s regulation by media is “vague and unclear”. This plan will of production and misusing the licence fee, Ofcom, whose remit is to foster competition subsidise the big private sector newspaper it gives comfort to those who want to see and commercial interests rather than public groups that have cut back on local journalism to a diminished BBC operating in an expanded service media. bolster their profits – a shocking use of public commercial environment.” Public service TV is what the punters pay for DESPITE THE rapid spread of digital TV, the public still prefer public service TV, according to research by the media regulator Ofcom. In a report published in July, Ofcom says that 71 per cent of all TV viewing is still of public service channels. And 77 per cent of people surveyed described themselves as regular viewers. Collectively, the study found that “when all the channels broadcast by PSBs are taken into account, they represent 71 per cent of total TV viewing.” This represents only a small decrease over the last ten years – down just 6 per cent from 77 per cent in 2005 – despite the fact that all UK viewing has gone digital in the past decade. So all the dozens of non-PSB ‘When all the channels broadcast by PSBs commercial channels still account for under a third of viewing. This is especially remarkable since the digital TV are taken into account, they represent switchover and the closure of analogue broadcast signals, with every home having access to dozens of channels – the 71 per cent of total TV viewing’ UK became a truly multi-channel TV market, with every home now having access to all of them. These viewers are also pretty satisfied with PSB. Just under three-quarters (73 per cent) of viewers claimed to be quite or very satisfied with PSB output, including – surprisingly for some – 69 per cent of 16-24 year-olds. One in eight (12 per cent) said they were more satisfied with PSB output than a year ago, citing “better/more choice/variety of programmes” (41 per cent) followed by better quality of output more generally (16 per cent) and better dramas/films (10 per cent). On news, 70 per cent or more agreed that the channels delivered trustworthy quality programmes that helped them understand the world. The highest approval was for children’s programmes, which 85 per cent said were “high quality”.

Autumn 2016 Free Press 5 The journalists THEY JUST DO who have CONSULTATIONS. not forgotten THERE are still media workers prepared to take THEY WOULD STOP a stand against the Murdoch media over the Hillsborough disaster. Two sports journalists have lately quit their jobs. IF THEY COULD Colin Murray was a presenter at the radio station Talksport when it was taken over by CURTAIN UP on Act III of The Phantom So on August 23 with eager crowds News Corporation in July. He immediately Regulator, the farce that looks set to run gathered the PRP announced: “In resigned, “due to a change of ownership”, after for ever. It opened nearly three years ago accordance with our commitment to the Murdoch company bought the station from in London and still nothing has happened! operating as openly and transparently as the Wireless Group for £220 million. It’s not even funny. possible, and ensuring that we have the As a Liverpool supporter, he said he could Jonathan Heawood, former director fullest possible basis to take a robust and not be associated with the Sun, whose of English PEN, set up IMPRESS as an independent decision on IMPRESS’ applica- notorious reporting on the 1989 football tragedy ­independent regulator for the press in tion, the PRP has launched a further call in Sheffield is still remembered on Merseyside: compliance with the recom- for information.” “the inevitable future working relationship mendations of the Leveson So that’s yet another round between Talksport and The Sun that has made Inquiry. It looked at good of consultation, to close on my position unsustainable,” he said. idea at the time, especially September 23. The PRP says: And a football reporter has quit his job on since it was obvious to all “Once the call for information Murdoch’s The Times after the paper failed to that the national papers’ ends, IMPRESS will have 15 report the outcome of the Hillsborough inquest own pet watchdog, named IPSO, could working days to provide a response to any on its front page in April. Tony Barrett was never comply with Leveson’s strict of the points raised by third parties. widely praised on social media for his response conditions for independence. “Once IMPRESS’s final application is to the Times’s decision not to put the “unlawful To meet these it set about launching ready, the PRP will validate and verify killing” verdict on page 1. Still on staff, he consultations on every aspect of its it along with any additional informa- tweeted that it was “unbelievable”, and next structure and putative performance. At tion received. This will be followed by day he tweeted an apology to “everyone who’s the same time the government instituted a meeting of the PRP Board, who will been let down”. a Press Recognition Panel (PRP) to test, make the final decision. This meeting will The overwhelmingly reaction on social endorse, appoint and supervise any be open to the public. It is not currently media, with his messages retweeted thousands regulators who applied, possible to say how long the of times, did prompt The Times to change the after extensive consulta- application process will take.” page overnight. Editor John Witherow said: “We tions on the same sort The strictures of the made a mistake. We put it right”. of things. Leveson process require Other staffers in the sports department A consultation, by the such fastidious practice as to tweeted their outrage including Henry Winter, way, for those who have never been render it practically impossible. For all the chief football writer. One said it amounted consulted, is when an entity solicits others the absurdity, there is a lot at stake. Once to “mutiny … to say there’s anger about it is an to write usually at some length what they IMPRESS were registered, all publishers understatement”. Former England footballer think of something, then considers the not signed up with a registered regulator Gary Lineker also complained on Twitter. responses, again at length, could be liable to pay enormous and produces a report or amounts of money in court A The Wapping Dispute Exhibition that has paper on the subject. cases if they fail to agree the been shown in venues around England There were so many settlement of complaints. since 2012 will be on display in Scotland from consultations going on This is not the great October 3-28. at one stage that it is injustice that the papers like The exhibition, supported by the CPBF, was put fortunate they did not acci- to make out, because they’d together by veterans of the historic dispute in dentally consult each other. have to behave very badly to which 5,500 print workers sacked by Rupert The PRP held a consulta- end up in that position. But I Murdoch in 1986 fought for a year to win tion on IMPRESS’S formal does give them an incentive back their jobs and application when it came in a year ago; to wreck IMPRESS, and all they need to workers’ rights in then another when IMPRESS had read do, it seems, is to do is lob in a couple of the industry. the results of the first. In July the PRP nuisance questions and the whole recog- It uses photo- announced that on August 23 the board nition process has to start again. A graphs, texts and would meet and announce a decision. A Meanwhile IMPRESS has itself graphics to tell It was to be a great moment. The announced a new consultation of its own. the story from the proceedings were not just open to the It has drafted a standards code, which workers’ point of public but streamed live. Hacked Off!, the it will need to regulate properly, and a view, and for the media reform lobbying group, whipped its final consultation has opened. IMPRESS Glasgow showing members to attend and gather at a café said this follows “an extensive consulta- new material has afterwards to celebrate what was bound tive process including public polling, focus been added about to be IMPRESS’s ordination. groups, expert roundtables and an analysis the dispute at Kinning Park, the mini-Wapping Hold your horses. The PRP had received of over 50 codes from press councils plant built b Murdoch in the city, which was a letter from the News Media Association, around the world.” likewise the scene of picketing and scabbing. a front organisation for the national In these consultations they will have A A The exhibition will be at Unite’s papers, raising fresh questions about found that all the codes are much the Scottish head office, John Smith House, IMPRESS’s bid. The national papers hate same. It matters less with codes what 145 West Regent Street, G2 4RZ. More info IMPRESS and seek to derail the process at they say than how they are followed and at www.wapping-dispute.org.uk. every stage, which is all too easy. enforced. Still, no harm in it if you must. 6 Free Press Autumn 2016 AWKWARD NOTE TO THERESA SQUAD MAY: REMEMBER

TIM GOPSILL JOHN MAJOR

LOOKING BACK, it would have been remarkable if the result BEHOLD: IN of the UK’s EU referendum THE STANDARD, had not gone the way the popular press were pushing. ALL IS VANITY This doesn’t mean that they determined the outcome as LAST YEAR Free Press described London much as that they were in tune monopoly local daily the Standard as a with the disgruntled that did. “mouthpiece for Boris Johnson”, which it was. Rupert Murdoch celebrated How times have changed. Brexit along with the triumph In September the paper hosted a strange of the showman Donald Trump event called Progress 1000, coverage of which in the US Republican Party. His filled the first five pages of the paper, plus the voice in the USA, the New York whole leader page further back. The front page Post’s chief political columnist, said: CHARLES, LONDONER OF THE DECADE, Michael Goodwin, wrote: with a big picture of Prince Charles. “millions of people in the US Prince Charles made a speech at the event; and Britain are in open revolt full text on pages 4–5, alongside pictures of against the encrusted estab- Prince Charles with the Standard’s beaming lishment, economic as well as proprietor Yevgeny Lebedev, and with Sadiq political … It’s a thing of beauty Kahn, the to see such undaunted courage mediocrity elected on both sides of the Atlantic.” to succeed Johnson Goodwin praised Boris as Mayor. Johnson’s Brexit role, but his The leader boss was thinking ahead. page editorial was As the battle to become to remind him of Johnson’s as a columnist on The Times, headed “London’s Prime Minister broke out untrustworthiness – hardly where he came from, to await progressive Mayor in David Cameron’s wake, news, and hardly the sort the next opportunity. and Prince”, Sadiq Murdoch decided to pull the of message that couples Which might just come, having been pronounced merely the humble plug on Johnson, who had exchange, do they? – which who knows? Theresa May might Londoner of the Year. He still looked pretty been presumed to take over somehow found its way into contemplate the career of John pleased with himself. with Murdoch’s encourage- the news. Major, the compromise Tory PM Under a headline “Film stars mingle with ment for years, in favour of It was reported that of the 1990s and the only one business chiefs as Mayor hails innovators” were Michael Gove. Johnson’s leadership team in more than 30 years to stand the photos of rich people holding champagne Five days after the vote, at were “beside themselves with up to Rupert Murdoch, who glasses, including Boris Johnson’s sister Rachel. a London conference Murdoch fury” when Gove announced once memorably said, “I pick my But not a word nor sign of her brother, evidently confided that Gove had “the he was going to run, and Cabinet, not Mr Murdoch”. last year’s man. right qualities to be the next Johnson had to pull out. But The errant minister he was It does make me wonder. We fume about Tory party leader … I’d be happy was the instigator of Gove’s defending, David Mellor, under media owners abusing their power to corrupt for Michael Gove to get it”. treachery the man himself, his fierce attack in the tabloid governments, procure laws that suit them, Extraordinary things started Lady Macbeth-like spouse, or press, resigned within days. dominate the market or just dodge their taxes, to happen. The forceful Boris someone with a bit more clout? And Major himself suffered but perhaps they have more modest aspirations. became a dithering idiot. Unfortunately, most Tories terrifying press assaults for All Yevgeny Lebedev seems to want is to smooch Michael Gove’s wife Sarah Vine didn’t get it and turned against years leading to the humiliation with aristocrats and mayors. sent her husband an email Gove, so he has taken refuge of losing to Labour in 1997. LEAVE IT TO EXPERTS. BUT WHO ARE THEY?

POOR OLD Facebook got its FB’s response was that of any comedian had called right-wing scale, the company says, it must algorithms in a twist over the sensible employer. It fired the US pundit Ann Coulter a “racist automate. “Our goal is to enable selection of stories for the “curators” and left the algorithm cunt”, while a third linked to a video Trending for as many people as “trending” module in its news feed. to do its job. Within days the fully of a man masturbating with a possible, which would be hard to do Back in May there was a automated trending module pushed McDonald’s chicken sandwich. if we relied solely on summarizing cooked-up scandal over a perceived out a stream of fake stories. The sources of these stories topics by hand,” it said in a blog. left-wing bias resulting from the One reported that Fox News were dubious conservative sites in The trouble with automated fact that the automated process of host Megyn Kelly had been sacked the USA. FB removed them. processes of course is the people prioritising stories was overseen as a “traitor” for supporting Amazingly FB is now the world’s who program them, who fail to by human beings to make sure Hillary Clinton. largest distributor of news. Did instruct them to exercise discretion everything was fair. According to another, a TV you know that? To operate on this and judgement. Autumn 2016 Free Press 7 NEW MEDIA Wrong kind of success MORAY CALLING MARK WATTS was editor of the FRANTZESCO KANGARIS/VISUAL MEDIA pioneering investigative journalism website NEW MEDIA that take over where legacy media give up can cash in Exaro, closed down by its owner in the using the internet, and a new one summer. He warns of what can go wrong in Scotland is doing just that. when a start-up, however brilliant, is The UK’s first independent dependent on a ‘benevolent capitalist’ online-only newspaper, set up in 1995, was the Shetland News in the northern isles, which attracted EXARO SHOWED how a small start-up team can hold a worldwide readership among the power to account, and it pointed the way to make Shetlanders’ diaspora 21 years ago! investigative journalism financially sustainable. So why One of its founders was a wasn’t this success matched on the commercial side? journalist from the rival printed Launched in 2011, Exaro established itself with some Mark Watts (centre) chairing a London debate on child Shetland Times, and now journalists big stories in its first few months. abuse run by the Exaro team from STV (Scottish Television) have We obtained a secret recording of Rupert Murdoch done the same thing in Moray, 300 admitting how he knew that his journalists had long allowing them to dodge income tax – was done with km to the south. been paying bribes for information, and our reporting BBC2’s Newsnight. Since STV closed its community on evidence of child sex abuse by MPs and other VIPs One national outlet offered a retainer contract for websites in 2013, the people of – and subsequent cover-ups – sparked multiple police a year that would have meant a significant, steady Moray found themselves without operations and an overarching inquiry. revenue stream. We could have built on that but the a local news service. So Stuart I was responsible for overseeing its editorial success. board decided to halve the editorial budget and throw Crowther – who had been STV’s I had much less say on the commercial side, though my away the prospects offered by the deal. local editor – created InsideMoray. colleagues on the board knew less about the evolving Frustrated by the lack of commercial progress, we “As an independent we are media industry than I did. stepped up work on data journalism. The first project free to report on any news which The founding managing director Jerome Booth was to monitor corporate insolvency data and produce we think our readers should hear proposed early on that Exaro put up a paywall. I pointed regular stats on bankruptcies.­ This provided new jour- about,” he says. “We go to great out that would have no prospect of working until there nalistic insight with wide commercial application. lengths to make sure that both was strong awareness of a brand and of what it did. The But the commercial side failed to sell it so the sides of every story are told and to proposal was plainly premature, and fail it did. editorial staff had to become part-time salespeople to ensure accuracy. But I was just a journalist. It was assumed that the demonstrate that the service would attract subscribers. “A quarter of our readers come MD knew what he was doing on commercial matters. Then the board pulled the plug on that, too. from outside Moray. Nostalgia for Exaro hired an advertising salesperson as a We showed, though, that an investigative website news of home runs deep and the commercial director. His strategy was to sell stories could produce material that had commercial application ex-pat community got hooked. Many to trade magazines. This would never bring in signifi- and could fund journalism. But vision is required not come from as far away as Australia, cant revenue, and neither did the planned sources of only on the editorial side, but the commercial side, too. New Zealand and Canada.” subscriptions, data services and advertising. In practice Exaro became an example of “benevolent Three years into the project Exaro’s most significant revenue stream was the sale capitalism”. A wealthy owner provided funding to keep and with around 100,000 unique of content to national newspapers and broadcasters. the publication going. But if the journalism is upsetting visits a month, Stuart has just The first major scoop – the Whitehall tax scandal people in positions of power, as Exaro did, then there’s launched a crowdfunding appeal to around senior civil servants who were allowed to work always the possibility that the benevolent wealthy take his publishing venture to the “off payroll”, through personal-service companies, owner is going to pull the plug. next phase.

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