UK summit shows readiness for co-operation in the regional media

Posted by Helena Deards on April 29, 2009 at 1:31 PM

A one-off summit at the House of Commons on local media has been described as "both dull and brilliant", but nonetheless a "breakthrough moment in history" by media commentator Roy Greenslade. In the ongoing troubles of the UK's regional media, the summit was attended by representatives of all types of UK media, and speakers included culture secretary Andy Burnham and Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards.

The main point of note from the summit has been the unprecedented level of cooperation show by all sides. Greenslade describes how the summit was "was all the better for the absence of fireworks, the lack of point-scoring and even the rather obvious and well-rehearsed contributions from some of the representatives because it revealed a welcome trend towards co-operation."

Ofcom chief Richards said that whilst the recession has worsened the state of the UK's regional media, "it is also unsustainable even under a benign economic climate". He warned of the need for action to retain regional news beyond the BBC. He supported the proposals for relaxed merger restrictions and media consortia which have previously been criticised by the National Union of Journalists.

Following his declaration that such consortia would "offer a path to full cross-media provision of regional and local news," Greenslade was surprised by "the apparent acceptance of this idea from a range of TV, radio and newspaper representatives, whether they were employers, editors, or trades unions or politicians". He puts this down to the absence of any other viable solution for regional media.

Other topics discussed included the effects of a decline in regional media on democracy and council run newspapers threatening privately owned local publications. Alan Rusbridger, editor of the Guardian also spoke of the need for collaboration between professional and citizen journalists in this new media landscape.

Speaking to Press Gazette after the summit, Burnham said that "it really brought people together and there was a lot of shared analysis and agreement about the way forward". The culture secretary's words left Press Gazette "in no doubt that the government is serious about taking action to help local media".

The level of co-operation seen by the summit does indeed seem to spell good things in terms of action to help the British regional media, and gives hope that - although no agreement or definite plans of action have yet been reached - there will be action taken to aid the UK's struggling regional publications. What form this takes has been much debated, and as always the issue how government intervention in the media effects its independent and democratic stance must be addressed.

Source: Press Gazette, Evening Standard