Yesterday, the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP published a Report on the Government response to the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications Report into Media Plurality. Yesterday’s report outlines the Government’s response to both the July 2013 consultation on media ownership and plurality, and the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications report and recommendations on media plurality. This report is part of the initiative to make it “easier for the media and creative industries to grow, while protecting the interests of citizens”.
After the consideration of Lord Justice Leveson’s recommendations in July 2013, the Government sought consultation on how to best measure media plurality, including:
- The types of media a measurement framework should cover;
- The genres it should cover;
- The types of organisation and services to which it should apply;
- The inclusion of the BBC;
- The audience with which it should be concerned.
The Government received 140 unique responses from various individuals and organisations, and 2,018 responses to a campaign run by Avaaz, expressing the view that media ownership is too concentrated. The report summarises respondents’ views in a chart, as well as the Government’s conclusion.
With this report finished, the Government will now commission Ofcom to inform and help develop a suitable set of indicators to conduct the first ever baseline market assessment of media plurality in the UK.
