The DCMS Watch This Space consultation closes today. Have you responded? Even a focused answer on platform access, local media, public-service reform or plurality can add valuable evidence. #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
Better Media
@bettermedia.uk
A democratic membership organisation working to organise, fund and support campaigns for Better Media in the UK. Website: https://bettermedia.uk Open Collective (join us here!) https://opencollective.com/bettermediauk
If DCMS made one change to strengthen UK media, what should it be? Fair platform access, local-media support, wider public-service recognition, stronger plurality—or something else? #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
What safeguards would prevent political influence over which news providers receive prominence? We want transparent criteria, independent decisions and meaningful review. What else is essential? #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
UK media policy should put citizens before institutions. Better Media’s #WatchThisSpace response calls for diverse local and independent supply, less protectionism, editorial independence, open innovation and a right to opt out of prominence systems. bettermedia.uk/2026/08/27/f...
The BBC is cutting £500 million and one in ten jobs, with staff on Newsnight expecting their programme to go. A TV licence costs £180 a year and carries no vote in how the BBC is run. The Charter Review should make licence fee payers members, with a real stake and a say.
Who should check whether news-prominence rules support genuine plurality? Should assessments, decisions, evidence and dissent be published—and should providers and audiences have a right of appeal? #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
How should minority, local and dissenting voices be protected in a system promoting “trustworthy” news? What would prevent legitimate perspectives being excluded by institutional or political consensus? #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
Does more media ownership necessarily produce more points of view? How should policy measure meaningful plurality—not simply the number of outlets, brands or channels available? #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
Should public-service status follow institutions, particular services or individual content? Which approach would best widen participation while keeping obligations clear and enforceable? #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
Can community-purpose and commercial media models thrive together? What would enable independent providers to earn revenue while retaining local accountability, editorial freedom and social value? #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
Which media providers are missing from current policy discussions? Name the services, ownership models, formats, regions or communities that DCMS needs to hear from before the consultation closes. #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
How do we build a genuinely diverse media supply? What would help community, independent, commercial, co-operative and charitable providers remain viable and reach audiences? #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
Does prominence for “trustworthy” news protect public trust—or reinforce incumbency? How can policy make reliable news easier to find while keeping entry open to new, local and dissenting voices? #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
Who controls the data that decides what audiences see? Should public-interest media providers receive clearer information about reach, recommendations and discoverability? Tell us what data is missing. #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
Should media providers be able to appeal platform decisions that reduce their visibility or access? What would a fair, independent and timely appeals process need to include? #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
What would fair platform access look like? Consider discoverability, search, recommendation systems, commercial terms, audience data and accessibility. Which barrier matters most to you? #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
Should online news prominence be open to smaller providers, not only established institutions? How could eligibility remain trustworthy, transparent and accessible to local and independent media? #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
Are platform algorithms hiding local voices? If you create or distribute community, local or independent media, tell us what happens to your reach—and what transparency would help. #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
Should community radio, independent local journalism and civic media count as public service media? What obligations should they meet, and what recognition or benefits should follow? #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
Can media trust be earned without public accountability? What should a provider disclose, correct or explain before receiving greater online prominence? Share the standards you would expect. #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
Who should define “trustworthy” news—and by what criteria? We want reliable information without allowing government, platforms or incumbents to narrow legitimate debate. What safeguards are needed? #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
If your local media disappeared tomorrow, what would your community lose? News, accountability, cultural expression, practical information—or somewhere to speak for itself? Tell us what matters. #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
Is local media essential civic infrastructure? Tell us how community radio, local reporting or independent media supports information, scrutiny, participation or belonging where you live. #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
Who gets heard in the UK’s future media system? As DCMS rethinks media policy, which communities, places and perspectives risk being left out? Share an example. #WhoGetsHeard #BetterMedia forum.bettermedia.uk
Platform access is essential for diversification of our media. Support the Better Media Fair Access Compact to help build media that serves our needs first forms.gle/kpu21aVfDqfb...
Better Media Fair Access Compact
Better Media brings together independent broadcasters, content producers and media providers who want a fair chance to reach audiences, earn revenue and serve the places and communities they know. By...
forms.gle
Who gets heard in the UK’s changing media landscape? Our Media Exchange explores how the DCMS Watch This Space Green Paper can support free expression, diverse supply, fair platform access, devolution and community participation. #BetterMedia
Who Gets to Be Heard – Community Media and the Future of the UK’s Media System
The government’s Watch This Space Green Paper asks an important question: how can the UK’s media continue to support democracy, social cohesion and a shared understanding of the world? During a series of Community Media Practice Exchange discussions organised through Decentered Media and Better Media, practitioners considered that question from the ground up. They spoke from experience of community radio, small-scale broadcasting, neighbourhood publishing, local reporting and voluntary civic action. These conversations did not produce a single, settled manifesto. They did, however, reveal a consistent concern: Public debate about media reform is still dominated by large broadcasters, established publishers and global platforms.
decentered.co.uk
Independent broadcasters and producers need fair access to audiences, revenue, distribution and platforms. Support the Better Media Fair Access Compact and strengthen the case for reform with Ofcom and DCMS: forms.gle/zgbU2smvqrub...
Better Media Fair Access Compact
Better Media brings together independent broadcasters, content producers and media providers who want a fair chance to reach audiences, earn revenue and serve the places and communities they know. By...
forms.gle
Support the Better Media Fair Access Compact. Help establish fair pricing and appropriate prominence for community, civic and independent media services across the UK’s media platforms forms.gle/zcu4H9bW6a4a...
The @DCMS Media Green Paper presents a false choice: state-approved “trustworthy” news or unchecked algorithms. @SpeechUnion’s concerns matter, but so do digital harms. We need a civic compact that protects freedom and supports informed politics.
DCMS Media Green Paper Consultation – Civic Compact for the Platform Age
The government’s Watch this Space media green paper has crystallised a tension that can no longer be postponed. On one side stands a legitimate fear that the state is preparing to decide which voices deserve prominence online. On the other lies the accumulating evidence that the current information environment is failing basic tests of resilience, trust and social cohesion. Between these poles lies the harder, more interesting work: designing forms of stewardship that protect liberal freedoms while recognising social responsibilities. The Free Speech Union has articulated the first concern with characteristic clarity.
decentered.co.uk