FREENo 212 Autumn 2017£1 Journal Press of the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom

SKY TAKEOVER

WANTED:4 NEW MEDIA IN LONDON … as Grenfell Tower THEIR OWN borough paper THE MURDOCHS closes suffered a setback on September 12 WORST when culture secretary Karen Bradley told Parliament the Sky ENEMY bid will be referred DESPERATE MEASURES are being Kavanagh over an article that to the competition taken by the Murdoch media asked “What will we do about The 6 companies to shore up the bid to Muslim Problem?” regulator. Its A NEITHER SINNER buy up Sky TV. A 178 people lodged formal investigation will Culture secretary Karen Bradley complaints about a story in The NOR SAVIOUR was expected to announce that she Times falsely accusing a London take at least six Challenging the myths will refer the bid to the Competition council of forcing a Christian child months. about the BBC and Markets Authority as Free Press into a Muslim foster family A went to the printer. In July she said A A group of peers demanded she was “minded” to do so after action over the potential abuse of saying she had “made a fool of a report from the media regulator data about Sky subscribers by the herself”, since wearing a headscarf Ofcom that it would hand the Murdoch group was a “provocative gesture. She A Murdochs too much control over UK A A columnist on the Sunday knew precisely what she was media and threaten their diversity. Times in Ireland, Kevin Myers, doing,” he wrote. The threats to the deal are all of was sacked over a stupidly Kavanagh is a member of IPSO’s the Murdochs’ own making – from anti-semitic article. board and a cross-party group the abuse of their media power, After publication of Trevor of MPs and peers wrote to IPSO from legal actions over the phone- Kavanagh’s piece The National to express “great concern” at his hacking and illegal information Union of Journalists demanded that comments in that role. gathering at the London papers, the press self-regulator IPSO carry Earlier this year MacKenzie from political reactions to their himself, for many years one of 8 and Islamophobia, from the Panic stations ’s closest colleagues, NEW THREAT sexual harassment scandals at Fox had to be sacked over an article crit- TV, its crude right-wing propaganda for the icising mixed-race footballer Ross TO DIVERSITY and fake stories … Murdochs Barkley over his appearance. … as Mirror group All of these were exacerbated In Ireland, Kevin Myers was buys the Express over the summer as Karen Bradley PAGES 2–3 sacked for an article commenting on was making up her mind: the publication of the high salaries A A News Group, the London out an immediate investigation into paid to some BBC presenters, in newspapers subsidiary, paid out the prevalence of Islamophobia, which he observed that the two undisclosed millions in September racism and hatred in the press. highest-paid women on the list, to settle 17 court cases over phone- He raised similar outrage last Claudia Winkelman and Vanessa hacking at year by his support for an attack by Feltz, were Jewish. A A 21st Century Fox, the film former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie Under the headline “Sorry and TV arm, withdrew Fox on Channel 4 journalist Fatima ladies, equal pay has to be earned”, News from broadcasting in the Manji for wearing a headscarf he wrote: “Good for them. Jews UK after its breaches of broad- while presenting news about a are not generally noted for their casting regulations terror attack in France. Fatima insistence on selling their talent For all campaign news and A A More than 100 MPs signed a Manji complained to the IPSO for the lowest possible price, which info go to cpbf.org.uk furious cross-party letter to the which, unsurprisingly, threw out is the most useful measure there Email: editor of the Sun demanding he her complaint. is of inveterate, lost-with-all- [email protected] sack former political editor Trevor Kavanagh then wrote an article hands stupidity.” MURDOCH PRESS FOX NEWS SCRAPPED IN UK, PHONE-HACK TRIALS ARE BOUGHT OUT, TO SAVE SKY BID

WRONG Panic stations! HANDS TO IN A DESPERATE move, Rupert “minded” to do so but needed more commercial interest to continue HOLD ALL Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox information from the regulator providing Fox News in the UK”. Corporation has taken its US channel Ofcom which examined the bid in Ed Miliband, the former Labour THAT DATA Fox News off the air in the UK after the early summer. leader and a prominent campaigner A TAKEOVER of Sky TV by 15 years. The station, with its rabid Fox News, though licensed to against the bid succeeding, said: the Murdoch empire would right-wing politics, its fake news broadcast by Ofcom, had a tiny UK “This decision shows the Murdochs be a “very grave threat to stories and its stream of sex abuse audience of about 2,000 viewers panicking about their bid for Sky. our democratic process” cases, had become a liability in the a day. Yet it managed to attract “It amounts to an admission according to a group of Murdoch family’s pursuit of Sky TV. a disproportionate number of that Fox News is not fit for UK peers concerned about The decision came as Karen complaints and Ofcom had made broadcasting in the standards and the abuse of the data held Bradley (below), the culture a number of rulings over breaches ethics of its journalism. by the pay-TV group on secretary, was about to announce of the licence conditions, including “It’s yet more proof that the her decision – expected as Free four last year, one of them being Murdochs can’t be trusted to own its subscribers. Press went to the printer – on over a programme featuring a 100% of Sky. The six whether to ask the Competition claim that Birmingham was a “Quite simply, the fear of the members of and Markets Authority to launch Muslim-dominated city “where Murdochs is that the scandals at the House of an investigation into the Murdochs’ non-Muslims simply don’t go”. Fox News could in 2017 sink their Lords describe £11.7 billion takeover bid. The company said it had bid for Sky, just as the scandals at it as “one of In July she said she was “concluded that it is not in our the did in 2011.” the largest

DCMS and most sophisticated datasets in the country”, containing the TV viewing, internet and phone records of 13 million households. The data could be misused for political purposes should it “fall into the hands of an owner with an appetite for political leverage.” The organiser of the group, film producer Lord Puttnam (above), said: “The deal would give unregulated access to this huge database ‘Stop those cases now!’ from which an enormous amount of insight could RUPERT MURDOCH has paid out At a hearing in June, News the Murdoch papers’ prurient be extracted. millions and will have to pay out Group was ordered to explain news values. “With that information, more to prevent court hearings that why it had redacted hundreds of The highest-profile are comedian people can be could scupper his bid for Sky. documents relevant to the hacking Les Dennis, the footballer Jonathan individually targeted with In September his News Group case, and that laptops used by Woodgate, a former press officer advertisements personalised newspaper company settled James Murdoch should be searched for football club and to them. I do see this as a 17 cases over phone-hacking for documents relating to the three Coronation Street actors. and illegally obtaining personal deletion of millions of allegedly The cost of the settlement has not very grave threat to our ­information by journalists at incriminating emails. been disclosed. democratic process. the Sun. If this information came But there are another 74 claims “It is incredible this The case was due to come to out before the bid for Sky was against the Sun in waiting which hasn’t been considered at the High Court in October, when sealed it would add to the will no doubt have to be bought any point. evidence would have been heard problems the Murdochs have out as well. A court hearing for “There is an urgent relating not just to phone-hacking created for themselves through the next tranche is scheduled for need for the Information at the daily paper, which has never the brutal management of their January 2018. Commissioner to confirm been admitted, but also to his son media businesses. News Group has already settled that data cannot be misused James Murdoch’s role in the huge The 17 cases involve minor hacking cases with more than 1,000 or misapplied before a Sky cover-up that followed the hacking celebrities whose lives would people, but these were related to decision is made. “ scandal at the News of the World. be of no interest were it not for the News of the World. 2 Free Press Autumn 2017 ‘What will we do about the Murdoch problem?’

MORE THAN 100 MPs have signed an open Muslims currently face threats from far right blame any particular group or demonise any letter demanding action over an article in and neo-Nazi groups in the UK and your particular group.” the Sun using “Nazi-like language” about publication of this article can therefore only Equality and Human Rights Commission the Muslim community in Britain. The MPs be seen as an attempt to further stoke up chief executive Rebecca Hilsenrath said it was from Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat hatred and hostility against Muslims.” “a real shame that a respected advocate of and the Green parties say they “were truly The letter was organised by Labour equality has felt the need to step down due outraged by the hate and bigotry” in a MP Naz Shah and was signed by 107 MPs to an over-sensitivity­ about language.” The column by the paper’s former political editor including past or present frontbenchers from press self-regulator IPSO said it had received Trevor Kavanagh. both main parties. 150 complaints about Kavanagh’s article. They In the article he said Islam was the They also included Sarah Champion, included one submitted jointly by a group of cause of an “unspoken fear” that had been MP for Rotherham and the former shadow Jewish and Muslim organisations. suppressed by political correctness and minister for equality, who had herself Trevor Kavanagh called the letter “a concluded: “What will we do about The written an article for the Sun about the concocted explosion of Labour and Islamic Muslim Problem?” sickening wave of child sex abuse cases in hysteria … fake fury from Labour lefties The letter to Sun editor her constituency. She wrote: “Britain has a dragooned by the Muslim Council of Britain.” called on him to retract the article and problem with British Pakistani men raping He said: “This fake outrage is more than consider sacking Trevor Kavanagh: “We and exploiting white girls”. simply a personal attack on me or upon the implore you to … strongly consider whether Kavanagh used this article as a pretext Sun newspaper. It is a pernicious attempt to Mr Kavanagh’s brand of bigotry fits with your for his attack on Islam, arguing that it had stifle and smother free speech. The letter is vision for the paper”. broken a taboo imposed by political correct- nothing less than an attempt to gag not just It said: “It is shocking that in the 21st ness. Champion was then forced to resign me but anyone else who dares to venture an century a columnist is using such Nazi-like from the Labour front bench. Party leader opinion which contradicts their narrow point terminology about a minority community … Jeremy Corbyn said: “We are not going to of view.” Two prejudices in one Julian Petley According to “confidential local with her maternal grandmother, The Times produced further tells of a authority reports” allegedly seen who is a Muslim. A court-appointed distortions to milk the story for all disturbing by the paper (but not by anyone guardian had spoken to the child its ideological worth. On August story where else), a “social services supervisor” alone and reported that she was 30 it ran the headline “Judge rules the facts were described the child as sobbing and settled and well cared for. child must leave foster home: begging not to be returned to the But the opportunity to run a story The Times praised for exposing not allowed foster carer’s home because “they that banged both the “loony left council’s failure”, giving the distinct to get in the way don’t speak English”. council” and the Islamophobia drums impression that the paper was A predictable media and simultaneously was too tempting to responsible for the girl being moved ON AUGUST 28 The Times ran political storm ensued, given let other considerations stand in the to her grandmother, although this a front page article by Andrew further impetus by the way. Never mind that the reporting, had happened two weeks before Norfolk, its chief reporter, who last putting the story on its front page which included pictures of the child, the story appeared. year won awards for exposing the under the headline “MPs’ Anger as albeit anonymised, threatened to It reported the judge in the Rotherham child abuse scandal. Christian girl forced into Muslim reveal her identity. Never mind case as saying that the paper had Headed “Christian child forced foster care”. This used a generic that the supposed “facts” of the raised “very concerning” matters of into Muslim foster care”, the story picture of a Muslim family (right) story don’t stand up to scrutiny. “legitimate public interest”. But the alleged that a white, English- onto which a veil had been photo- And never mind that its publica- judge didn’t say the stories were true. speaking, Christian child had been shopped over the woman’s head. tion gave racists and Islamophobes a Nor could she have praised the paper taken from her family by “the What emerged from a Family platform from which to bellow their for exposing the council’s failure, scandal-ridden borough of Tower Court hearing the next day told a repellent views. since the Family Court documents Hamlets” and forced to live with different story: present no evidence of any “failure”. A two Muslim households. A The child had been removed Indeed, what is really “very In one of these, the paper said, from her mother by the police concerning … and a matter of the foster mother wore a niqab, (not the council) for her own legitimate public interest” is removed a cross from the child’s safety. There were suggestions why The Times ran such a highly neck, suggested she learn Arabic that the mother had drug and flammable story and other papers and refused to let her eat her alcohol problems. immediately followed suit. A favourite meal, spaghetti carbonara, A The child herself was of There have been 178 complaints because it contained bacon. The Muslim heritage. to IPSO over this story. IPSO A five-year-old is said to have told her A Two weeks before The Times does have the power to conduct mother that “Christmas and Easter published its story, the local an investigation, but whether are stupid” and that “European authority had agreed to place the it would be willing to do so is women are stupid and alcoholic”. child, with her mother’s agreement, highly doubtful. Autumn 2017 Free Press 3 COMMUNITY MEDIA The sites of London

Alan Slingsby took The Cardiff University centre’s Emma Meese part in a get-together said it was committed to providing training, research, networking and advice to hyperlocal of alternative news publishers and had recently opened the media in the capital Independent Community News Network – a and reports that representative body for such publishers, run by the centre. there is plenty going on It is working on legal advice for hyperlocal publishers and is examining the potential for FROM A HYPERLOCAL blog run by a solicitor collective advertisement sales. in his spare time to a long-established London Meese said the network was working with the weekly employing 20 people, publications repre- Emma Meese: representative body BBC to ensure that its “local democracy reporter” sented at a London community media summit in scheme considers community publications. June were as diverse as the city itself. the rise of hyperlocal community newspapers, The centre is also working with the National Speakers from printed papers and magazines, websites and radio stations. Realising there was Union of Journalists to secure press cards for blogs and community radio explained their not yet a forum for the 40-plus community community and hyperlocal publishers. successes and crises and discussed finances publishers operating inside the M25, they Community media speakers came from the and government policy in question-and- organised the London Community Media Summit Camden New Journal, Waltham Forest Echo, answer sessions with an audience of about 50 with help from Cardiff University’s Centre for Brixton Bugle, Hackney Citizen, Bristol Cable and community journalists. Community Journalism. the Community Media Association. The idea for the conference came when Introducing the event, Howard Sharman spoke Veteran journalist Eric Gordon, publisher Howard Sharman of the not-for-profit of the “scorched earth” policy of local commercial of the Camden New Journal, which grew out management consultancy Eastside Primetimers publishers who were moving reporting and of an NUJ strike paper in 1982 and is now an and David Floyd and Anna Merryfield of the social production of what remained of local media away independent weekly, explained the mechanics, enterprise Social Spider CIC, were discussing from the areas it purported to cover. finances and ethics of the publication. PICTURES: BRIXTON MEDIA Alec Saelens, co-founder of the Bristol Cable, which combines a quarterly magazine with a 30,000 print order and an online presence in the city, explained its membership model which has 1,700 supporters paying an average of £2.50 a month. The Cable’s success in winning grants for its work – including £80,000 over two years from a Chicago-based foundation – attracted keen interest. Funding dominated discussions, with adver- tising, sponsorship, crowdfunding, community shareholders and grants all examined – as well Rachel Knight (right) of the media regulator IMPRESS was one of several participants from as the question of what a community-funded interested organisations, including the CPBF, at the conference publication would do if it came upon a story that would upset its funders.

‘PAPERS WOULD HAVE PICKED UP GRENFELL TOWER CONCERN’ THE FIRE at the Grenfell Tower He says: “One hundred per was a horrible place to live. in west London (right) that cent we would have picked I remember writing stories killed more than 80 people in up on that story. We would about it many times.” June might not have happened have known about that local The collapse of Capital Media but for the cutbacks in the group’s concerns because Newspapers meant the demise local press, according to a we were very much in the of four weekly titles, including local journalist. local community. those in the neighbouring Grant Feller worked on “We would have pored areas of Fulham, Hammersmith the Kensington and Chelsea over the council meeting and Shepherd’s Bush. News 30 years ago and says agendas and asked questions At the same time in July the fire safety concerns of of the councillors and the three more London papers Grenfell Tower residents would folded the News had just one officers. But there is closed: the Enfield Advertiser, definitely have found a voice. reporter, who also had to cover no-one there.” Haringey Advertiser and But in July the paper closed other London boroughs. Feller, who still works as a Barnet Press owned by when current owners Capital When Feller began his career freelance in Chiswick, wrote Tindle Newspapers. Media Newspapers went in 1990 there was an editorial stories himself about the living Nationally, 18 weekly into administration. team of ten, plus competition conditions in Grenfell Tower. newspapers closed over the There is now no newspaper from a rival paper, the He says: “It was dilapidated, summer, according to the in the borough. Before it Kensington and Chelsea Times. had really bad wiring and website.

4 Free Press Autumn 2017 ABD ALMOUSTAFA AT LAST THE MEDIA FUND THOMAS BARLOW introduces a new programme to raise funds to help much‑needed new local media

FROM OCTOBER 1 supporters of independent media will be able to back new ventures through the Media Fund. The project began in 2015 when the group Real Media hosted a conference in Manchester to discuss challenges facing the media. Funding was the topic on everyone’s lips. How do we fund quality media as old revenue models collapse? Organisers realised that, together, we could work to tackle the problem. After a year of planning they were ready to start a fundraising organisation. By December 2016 the Media Fund had raised £10,000. They launched a temporary website to David Altheer on the prowl for stories in Dalston’s famous Ridley Road street market show how it could function and started producing governance documents and investment guidelines, bringing together 21 media organisations. The Media Fund will help raise money for organisations meeting three key I do it myself criteria – that they: ●● are not solely reliant on corporate or After quitting Fleet Street, veteran journalist state funding ●● abide by the NUJ code of conduct David Altheer started a minimal-budget website to ●● unionise within a year of joining meet a need for news in a busy London borough the fund. Other rules will be implemented after the organisation’s first AGM on WHEN I SET UP a news such as Vice – after all, Rupert Murdoch helps to site I turned my life around. fund that one – but I do like to see if any trends December 1. Having taken redundancy a show, what stories push up the readership graph. There are two key ways that the fund decade ago from a national Timing is crucial and, if wrong, can reduce plans raise cash for such organisations. newspaper in my late middle age I did what I a story’s rating, as happened with one on the First, it will make it easy for individual should have done when I was young: start my teenage violence simmering on the streets of donors to donate via the website, own publication. Dalston. School holidays were starting, giving the producing lots of videos, memes, articles I’d found many excuses not to do that: lack of lost boys and girls, as they are sometimes known, funding, business inexperience, the anti-entre- more time to annoy local shops and cafés. preneurialism of the hippie 1960s. The internet When I asked the police what they were invalidated those excuses. No print bills, little or doing about the problem, I was invited to go on no staff needed, access to advertising provided walkabout with them. I ran the story under the by Google and others … and you could absorb headline “How Hackney police are taking on the rental costs by working from home. lost boys and girls etc…”, a little nervous that my Living in an area as newsy as Hackney, leftish readers might think I’d sold out to the and podcasts to encourage people to there was a plethora of stories missed by the authorities. Well might I worry. I happened to put their hands in their pockets. local paper, partly because its office is many run it the day a young man died in Dalston at the Second, The Media Fund will approach kilometres away. For years I used to tip off hands of police, which led to a Black Lives Matter big donors like co-ops, trade unions, the reporters, without ever being offered the protest march to Stoke Newington police station. NGOs and high net worth individuals tiniest fee. Now I could write and publish those The article pushed the story-readership graph and encourage them too to dip into stories myself. only to a so-so level, nowhere as high as others I dubbed my online paper Loving Dalston, of my stories. The highest so far this year was their pockets. in the belief that my district of Hackney was about a celebrity visitor to Hackney being told to For more information you can contact attracting highly educated hipsters eager to give buzz off by a bystander. them at [email protected] or the area a makeover. The fact that it was my former employer @themediafund on , and they can I was right: slowly, people began contacting Rupert Murdoch, descending on the area with his be found on iTunes, Facebook, Medium the site, asking me to investigate crooked wife Jerry Hall for the premiere of her new film and at themediafund.org landlords, council malpractice, NHS scandals and at a local arthouse cinema, was just annoying: AA Why the launch on October 1? other alleged wrongs. The stories did not always you spend all that time on a serious story like the Perhaps unexpectedly, to coincide stand up, but clearly I was fulfilling a need, if only lost teenagers of Hackney and what story goes with the Tory Party Conference, where in a small way. around the world? A bagatelle The Media Fund will be supporting a Numbers? I rarely check Google statistics about a multibillionaire­ and counter-conference livestream with The because I know my site’s following will be far his ex-model wife. People’s Assembly. smaller than that of well-resourced news sites That’s journalism for you. Autumn 2017 Free Press 5 BBC Myths of time

Tim Gopsill welcomes which is like a share in a company, making you the BBC’s reporting as antagonistic, even when a book that challenges and I its owners. The fee is not a general tax, yet it is has been shown by researchers to be more the BBC has always been subject to government slavishly loyal than other media. The reason again the claims made and Parliament; it has never initiated nor been is to create a convenient impression, in this case for and against subjected to any process to give this notional that the hapless BBC’s bulletins are critically the BBC and takes ownership any kind of reality, so what we want independent, to make them appear more credible to know is, why not? And why can’t it make to the public than the propaganda they really are. a hard look at the reality better use of its independence? The BBC’s reporting, especially on security- There’s some help towards working this out related matters, has been lurching rightwards IT’S THE question that vexes supporters of public in a new book from Tom Mills: The BBC, Myth of a since the great trauma it suffered over such an broadcasting when they are called on yet again Public Service, which goes right back to the corpo- episode in 2004 – the Today programme’s story to defend the BBC from its enemies right and ration’s origins and its intimate relationship with on the government’s justification for the invasion left: why does it have to be so bloody right wing? the British state of the 1920s and ’30s, embattled of Iraq the previous year. Defence correspondent Whenever we rally to the BBC’s side as with militant trade unions, communism and Andrew Gilligan’s report led to the suspicious it comes under attack in the press, we are European . suicide of his source, weapons expert David defending not what it is but what we want it The book offers a much-needed lesson Kelly; to a rigged judge-led inquiry that slammed to be; independent, popular, progressive and for public broadcasting supporters and the reporting; and to the utter capitulation of publicly accountable. media reformers because it dismantles the the BBC, which sacked not just Gilligan but the We all understand the BBC is a component of contrasting myths that make these discussions Director-General Greg Dyke. the British establishment, so you might expect so convoluted. Mills writes that the “conventional take on the that it will seek generally to express majority The first dominant myth portrays the BBC’s affair”, that the BBC “defied government pressure taste and opinion. But while politics are currently liberalism as radically left-wing, unpatriotic and and insisted on critically scrutinizing the case for veering sharply away from the centre-right neo- corrosive of traditional British values, whatever invading Iraq … is a serious misreading of what liberal metropolitan consensus, the BBC seems to those might be. This is such nonsense that not actually happened.” The affair, he writes, “illus- be unable to respond. even its feverish protagonists in the right-wing trates the Corporation’s embeddedness within It is stuck with the discredited notion that press actually believe it (do they believe the British state.” responsiveness to grass-roots opinion is to anything?). Just like the left, they portray the BBC In a way it was even worse than that: in the indulge xenophobia and put Nigel Farage on as what they would like it to be, as something aftermath the BBC committed itself against any every programme. Its antagonism to radical they can denigrate and destabilise for their own such critical reporting, establishing elaborate left-wing and community politics looks unshake- commercial reasons. procedures to prevent it. It was not just the able. Yet it enjoys a constitutional independence, There is an associated myth propagated by executives who set this direction, but BBC jour- founded in its funding through the licence fee, governments in wartime, which inevitably attack nalists who refused to back Gilligan, whose MICK HOLDER NEWS: A DUTY TO CONCEAL THE VETTING of staff to weed out Demonstrators from the subversives was a standard BBC Construction Safety Campaign practice until its cover was blown in carried a placard saying 1985, but it can still censor workers’ “BFK CROSSRAIL KILL MAIM voices in the news. BLACKLIST”, referring to the death, Footage of a demonstration further accidents causing injury, and outside a court in July was edited to the blacklisting of union reps. conceal slogans on placards. One wore a T-shirt with the word The case in court was the “blacklisted” on it. prosecution of contractors on the Both were blacked out between Crossrail site in London where a two BBC London Regional TV worker Rene Tkáčik had been killed. bulletins at 1.30pm and 6.30pm on Now you see it … the slogans, above, and, below, how Crossrail was fined £1 million. July 28. the BBC showed them

6 Free Press Autumn 2017 supposedly irresponsible and unprofessional work was widely criticised. Managing the BBC: This deference to the security state is identified by Mills as an essential restraint on the BBC’s independence, illustrated perfectly by its collaboration with MI5 in the vetting of its Ofcom in command staff. There was a scandal when the practice was exposed in in 1985, and another Patricia Holland overall”. That is, the populist program- myth, or at least a misapprehension, arose that explains the ming of the commercial channels. the spooks had required the BBC to co-operate. This requirement to be distinctive and Mills covers this matter at length and shows rationale behind “substantially different” is an extension that the corporation had pushed for the vetting, making the of the long-term Conservative project and for it to be applied to a lot more staff than BBC subject to reduce the scope and popularity of MI5 wanted to handle, including technicians as the corporation. well as broadcasters and writers. There were two to regulation by Ofcom Some people did welcome the apparent concerns, one that subversives might involvement of Ofcom as the first inde- sabotage the transmitters, the other that BBC pendent regulator of the BBC. But its bosses wanted to be able to demonstrate to IN APRIL this year the BBC came under independence may be illusory. Many of government that its output was safe from unde- the formal regulation of Ofcom, with the requirements in the consultation sirable influences. MI5 officers’ evident disdain Britain’s communications regulator document are quoted verbatim from for this motive provides some of the lighter taking the role of the now abolished the framework agreement drawn up moments in the book. BBC Trust. between the and the government to Another area explored by Mills is the BBC’s It seemed an incongruous step: a accompany the new charter. coverage of business and economics. It is venerable broadcaster, which has been This agreement is highly prescriptive. less familiar territory than the warmongering at the centre of British civic life since the Schedule 2 requires Ofcom to “seek to but equally instructive to read how quickly it 1920s and has made a massive contribu- increase the current requirements on the absorbed Thatcherite monetarism and began tion to the standards and practices that BBC as a whole” and to consider setting importing right-wing business journalists. The have sustained British broadcasting, is requirements in new areas, particularly former left-wing Labour minister Tony Benn now “held to account” by an upstart for genres which are “underprovided or loved to point out the brainwashing value of regulatory body set up in 2003 with a in decline” elsewhere. It seems that to a routinely ending news bulletins with announce- stated aim to deregulate broadcasting large extent Ofcom’s hands are tied. ments of stock market content and concern itself with issues Instead the hand of ex-Culture indices and currency The myth that the of competition. Secretary, John Whittingdale, is clearly rates which is of no real Despite its deregulatory approach, visible, pursuing a project which interest to anybody, BBC is a model of Ofcom was to be consigned to David began way back in the 1980s with the since financiers principled, honest, Cameron’s promised “bonfire of the infamous Peacock report which aimed know anyway. quangos” in the run-up to the 2010 to shrink the BBC. Instead of seeking The second independent general election; in the event it survived audience appeal and competing with dominant myth about to be granted this wider remit, to other broadcasters, Peacock insisted, the the BBC, held by the broadcasting is more “hold the BBC to account for fulfilling BBC should stick to worthy public service liberal left, is the dangerous because its mission and promoting its public programmes which would fill in the gaps one that upholds it purposes”, across television, radio left by the popular commercial channels, as the model to the adherents believe it and online. its role being to compensate for “market world of defiantly Ofcom is organising a consultation on failure” and leave profitable program- principled, honest and independent public how to regulate the BBC’s performance. ming to the profiteers. broadcasting. Particularly vaunted is the World The aim is to produce an operating As for the commercial public Service, a directly government-funded radio licence with “enforceable regulatory service channels, ever since the 1990 station routinely described by ministers as “an conditions”, and many pages of detailed Broadcasting Act, government policies instrument of soft power” for Britain. requirements are laid out to this end. have ensured that television regulators Strangely, this myth is more dangerous than In the run-up to the new arrange- have become progressively deregulatory the right-wing myths because its adherents ment there was much concern that and “light-touch”, allowing ever greater genuinely believe it. They are led by BBC luvvie Ofcom would become too powerful. freedom for market priorities. ITV’s Jean Seaton, professor of media history at Would it be a back seat driver? Would it obligation to create the conditions in Westminster University and the BBC’s current duplicate the role of the BBC’s Board, or which a successful company like Granada official historian; Mills’s book is something of an interfere in editorial decision making? could sustain “distinctive” programming antidote to her Panglossian accounts and he does Naturally Ofcom denies such itself – a form of regulation which was have some fun at her expense. ambitions, yet the consultation enabling rather than limiting – has been A A THE BBC, Myth Of A Public Service, document reads like a blueprint for progressively removed. Tom Mills, Verso micro-management. There are detailed Putting Ofcom in charge of the BBC requirements for quotas, scheduling, as well as the commercial companies is a commissioning, performance measure- golden opportunity for the Tories to pile ments and a great deal of box ticking. the public service obligations on the BBC There is a phenomenon called alone and let the companies off. “distinctiveness” which the BBC is In 2009 David Cameron also said: required to demonstrate. Its services “Even when power is delegated to “should be distinctive from those a quango … the minister will remain provided elsewhere”, which the responsible for the outcomes. There will document defines as “substantially be no more hiding behind the cloak of different to [sic] other comparable quango independence.” Tom Mills providers across each and every UK Eight years on, this has more than a Public Service both in peak time and ring of truth. Autumn 2017 Free Press 7 MEDIA POLICY DIVERSITY We’ll back new local Mirror bids to buy Desmond’s media, says Corbyn Express group

A UK Labour government will examine media CHATHAM HOUSE THE ACQUISITIVE Trinity Mirror group is poised ownership, go ahead with Stage 2 of the to take over Express Newspapers from its , and consider ways to support unhinged right-wing owner Richard Desmond. local journalism. These undertakings came from The deal will mark a big reduction of media Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (right) in an informal diversity at the UK national paper level. address to members of the National Union of Talks over sharing back-office functions Journalists executive council in July. were broken off when the owner of the He expressed support for the local press, national Mirror titles announced it was revealing that he had started a career in preparing a complete buyout. No sums have journalism with the Newport and Market Drayton been mentioned but Desmond paid £125 Advertiser in Shropshire, where he admitted he million for the Express titles in 2000 and has had been “given what for” by the mother of a always made big profits from selling on media bride after errors appeared in a wedding report. operations after stripping their costs. “At their best,” he said “local papers are a Both companies have been savagely kind of glue in the community”, but he was cutting back the costs of production for years “concerned that all media operations seem to to maintain high levels of profit. be stretching news reporting to the umpteenth There has been speculation about a degree, which means that sometimes reporting takeover for several years and there were isn’t terribly good or that journalists themselves talks in 2015 but Trinity Mirror instead bought are incredibly stretched in just trying to get the regional press group Local World for £220 news together. I think that is bad news.” that the party was considering introducing million. It is the largest regional newspaper The regionalisation of local papers, the central- a charter for local reporting. Wider takeover publisher in the UK by some margin. isation of reporting and the reduction in the proposals – obliging workers to have opportuni- The acquisition, which will need and number of journalists undermine that any sense ties for co-operative takeovers – would include likely receive regulatory approval from the of community, he said; that a Labour government newspapers, he said. Competition and Markets Authority, will cover would examine the effects of online advertising He confirmed that Labour is pushing for the Daily and Sunday Express titles and the on newspaper viability. He said he was concerned “Leveson Two” – the extension of an inquiry into Daily and Sunday Star, plus OK! magazine. about “questions of wider media ownership”, press behaviour that was suspended in 2012 and There are concerns over the political differ- particularly about the Murdoch bid for Sky. the Conservatives have so far refused to revive. ences between the titles, with Mirror backing Media contribute to democracy, he said, He also said he supported the BBC and was the Labour Party while the Express group is adding: “Everybody gets irritated by journalists opposed to using the licence fee to fund other pro-UKIP. Desmond gave UKIP £1 million for from time to time, even me, but I do recognise areas of media. “I am very disappointed with the 2015 election. this essential part of a democratic society. The the idea that the BBC would offer parts of the The National Union of Journalists said the right to know is part of a democratic society as it BBC income to government or to other areas deal between political opposites “would have protecting those who investigate and make sure of the media. If you top-slice the licence fee to implications for media plurality and diversity. this is a reality.” send it somewhere else, then obviously the BBC We would want a clear understanding of how On local media financing, Corbyn said loses out.” the editorial independence of the titles will co-operative ownership was an option and Adam Christie be managed.”

MEMBERSHIP RATES PER YEAR AFFILIATION BY ORGANISATION a) Individual membership £15 f) Fewer than 500 members £25 the b) Unwaged £6 g) 500 to 1,000 £30 Join c) Supporting membership £25 h) 1,000 to 10,000 £50 (includes free CPBF publications) i) 10,000 to 50,000 £115 campaign d) Institutions (eg libraries) £25 j) 50,000 to 100,000 £225 BB C (includes 10 copies of FREE Press) k) Over 100,000 £450 for press I/We want to join the CPBF and enclose a cheque/PO for £ and broadcasting Name ______Address ______freedom Postcode ______Tel ______Email ______Join online Organisation (if applicable)______at www.cpbf.org.uk Return form to CPBF, 23 Orford Road, London E17 9NL, 07729 846 146, [email protected]

This issue went to press on September 11 and was edited by Tim Gopsill, 07769 928 795, [email protected] Design: editionpublishing.net • Printed by Swallowmax Ltd, 43 Aden Road, Enfield EN3 7SY