The Media Manifesto. Des Freedman

author.

      Title: The media manifesto / Natalie Fenton, Des Freedman, Justin Schlosberg & Lina Dencik.

      Description: Cambridge ; Medford, MA : Polity, 2020. | Series: The manifesto series | Includes bibliographical references. | Summary: “Why there can be no meaningful democracy without media reform”-- Provided by publisher.

      Identifiers: LCCN 2020002629 (print) | LCCN 2020002630 (ebook) | ISBN 9781509538058 (hardback) | ISBN 9781509538065 (paperback) | ISBN 9781509538072 (epub)

      Subjects: LCSH: Mass media--Social aspects. | Mass media--Political aspects. | Mass media--Moral and ethical aspects. | Power (Social sciences)

      Classification: LCC P95.54 .F46 2020 (print) | LCC P95.54 (ebook) | DDC 302.23--dc23

      LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020002629 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020002630

      The publisher has used its best endeavours to ensure that the URLs for external websites referred to in this book are correct and active at the time of going to press. However, the publisher has no responsibility for the websites and can make no guarantee that a site will remain live or that the content is or will remain appropriate.

      Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been overlooked the publisher will be pleased to include any necessary credits in any subsequent reprint or edition.

      For further information on Polity, visit our website: politybooks.com

Acknowledgements

      This book is born of the media reform movement and owes its inspiration, ideas and arguments to the many activists around the world who give their time and energy to make our media worlds democratic, fairer, more representative, plural, diverse accountable and just. In particular we have drawn inspiration from Vanessa Baird, Steve Barnett, Laura Basu, Mike Berry, Ben Birkinbine, Benedetta Brevini, Brian Cathcart, Sasha Costanza-Chock, Kate Coyer, Malkia Cyril, Simon Dawes, Seeta Peña Gangadharan, Rodrigo Gomez, Bob Hackett, Dan Hind, Becky Lentz, Bob McChesney, Martin Moore, Graham Murdock, Victor Pickard, Nathan Schneider, Trebor Scholz, Hilary Wainwright and Todd Wolfson.

Each of the authors is also part of the Media Reform Coalition (MRC) in the UK. Since 2011, the MRC has been at the forefront of the UK’s progressive media reform movement, producing evidence and giving testimony to a broad range of public inquiries into the media; engaging the public on media reform issues; and designing innovative solutions that address the most critical issues in media policy-making: supporting media pluralism, defending ethical journalism and maximizing the public interest in media and communications. The MRC is made up civil society groups, academics and campaigners whose energy and commitment to media democracy runs throughout this book. In particular, we would like to thank members of the Co-ordinating Committee of the MRC who regularly give up their time to advancing media justice, and who have informed and influenced many of the ideas in this book. They include James Curran (Goldsmiths); Maggie Chao (38 Degrees); Sarah Kavanagh (National Union of Journalists); Jonathan Hardy (University of East London and formerly Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom); Gareth Lowe (UNITE trade union); Riaz Meer (BECTU trade union); Kerry-Ann Mendoza (The Canary); Tom Mills (Aston University); Angela Phillips (Goldsmiths); Nathan Sparkes (Hacked Off); Damian Tambini (London School of Economics); Einar Thorsen (Bournemouth University); Leo Watkins (Formerly Enders Analysis); Henna Zamurd-Butt (formerly Media Diversified); and Alaphia Zoyab (Avaaz).

      The authors also share a common history in that all have at some point been part of Goldsmiths, University of London in the Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies. Goldsmiths deserves a mention for still being an academic environment where public and political engagement is rife and in particular for supporting the work of the MRC.

      This manifesto builds on extensive academic research by the authors that has been carried out in constant dialogue with a range of publics, politicians, news professionals, journalists, activists, policy-makers and, of course, each other. While our ideas have grown together and we are keen for this book to be seen as a collaborative manifesto, we have each taken prime responsibility for the main writing of one chapter: Chapter 1 (Des Freedman); Chapter 2 (Justin Schlosberg); Chapter 3 (Lina Dencik); Chapter 4 (Natalie Fenton) and Chapter 5 (all of us).

And finally we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our wonderful friends and family, who have had to endure our absences as we take part in endless meetings, rallies, conferences, festivals and assemblies, when engaged in the hard grind of political campaigning and trying to make good our manifesto wishes.