UK media plurality threatened by large firms
A new report says control of the UK media is concentrated in the hands of just a few large corporations, threatening news plurality at an “endemic” level.
The 20-page report released by the Media Reform Coalition titled “Who Owns the UK Media?” says there are dangerous concentrations of ownership “by a handful of giant corporations” across the UK media market, from news websites to TV channels and internet search and newspapers.
It also reveals that just three companies – Sun and Times owner News UK, Daily Mail publisher DMGT, and Daily Mirror owner Trinity Mirror– control 71% of the national newspaper market.
The MRC argues that just six major regional newspaper groups own 81% of local newspapers, with the remaining 56 publishers in the UK accounting for 19% and this has created regional “news deserts”, where professional journalists have been drained away by cuts and closures, and local monopolies or duopolies.
“We believe that concentration within news and information markets in particular has reached endemic levels in the UK and that we urgently need effective remedies… This kind of concentration creates conditions in which wealthy individuals and organisations can amass huge political and economic power and distort the media landscape to suit their interests and personal views,” the report said.
The MRC called for an “urgent” reform, including a call for clear ownership thresholds, where no individual or entity has a controlling share in an organisation that has a dominant share of any news market, and safeguards to ensure journalistic and editorial autonomy.
Back in 2012, Ofcom released a report on the media, warning that potential concentrations of media power should be subject to regular and formal reviews.
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