Conclusion 1
Concluded (the committee's words)Although the forms journalism takes and the technologies by which it is produced have changed, its fundamental purposes and importance in a democratic society remain the same.
Select committee: Communications and Digital Committee
The future of journalism
Closed
Opened 13 Feb 2020
Closed 14 Oct 2021
10 recommendations
25 conclusions
Communications and Digital Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
Digital technologies have called into question what journalism is, in a society in which journalistic content takes an ever-wider range of forms and in which it is easier than ever for citizens to act as journalists. This inquiry will investigate how digital technologies are changing the production and consumption of journalism, how journalists can be supported to adapt to those changes, and how the profession can become more trusted by—and representative of—the general population.
Where it stands
The inquiry is closed, opened 13 February 2020.
The committee has published 1 report, most recently 1st Report - Breaking News? The Future of UK Journalism on 27 November 2020.
The government's response
Published 2 March 2021. The deadline was 2 March 2021.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government welcomes the report and agrees on the importance of journalism and the challenges of digital transition, while declining several specific recommendations, such as extending Ofcom's reporting powers and convening a funding forum.
- On media literacy, it accepted the Cairncross recommendation for a strategy, to be "published in spring 2021", but maintains that responsibility "does not lie with Ofsted".
- On court reporting, it says it does "not currently have plans to alter this approach" to recording devices, and will continue to liaise with HMCTS on supporting court reporters.
- On diversity reporting, it "does not propose to amend the statutory framework", citing the need to balance regulatory burden on enterprise.
- On digital markets, it commits to a Digital Markets Unit "from April 2021", will hold a public consultation this year, and will legislate "as soon as parliamentary time allows". On a news bargaining code, "No decisions have yet been taken."
Recommendations and conclusions
- Conclusion 1Conclusion
- Conclusion 2Conclusion
- Conclusion 3Conclusion
Reports
- 1st Report - Breaking News? The Future of UK Journalism27 November 2020 · 35 items
Evidence
- 13 oral evidence sessionsLatest 21 July 2020
- 46 witnesses
Recent activity
- Government response to the Committee's report "Breaking News? The Future of UK Journalism"2 March 2021, Report published
- Response from the Charity Commission to the Committee's report "Breaking News? The Future of UK Journalism", 17 December 202017 December 2020, Correspondence
- 1st Report - Breaking News? The Future of UK Journalism27 November 2020, Report published
Recommendations and conclusions 35 shown
Conclusion 2
Concluded (the committee's words)We welcome journalism organisations which are innovating to adapt to changes in the market, while continuing to hone traditional journalistic skills, producing high quality content and holding an understanding of their audiences at the heart of this innovation.
Conclusion 3
Concluded (the committee's words)With an increasingly wide range of news sources available online, it is more important than ever that consumers have easy access to information about the credibility of their news publishers so they can critically assess news stories. We welcome credibility ratings and nutrition labels in browsers initiatives which seek to provide transparency, in particular those which note: whether publishers have disclosed how they are funded and who is in charge, including any possible conflicts of interests; whether they clearly label advertising; whether they provide the names, biographical or contact information of content creators; and by what process they respond to complaints and correct errors. We encourage the news industry and platforms to work together to build on these initiatives and make them widely available.
Conclusion 4
Concluded (the committee's words)Although broadcasters have a duty to be accurate and duly impartial, Ofcom’s broadcast code does not apply to broadcasters’ online content. Public service broadcasters have a special role in the provision of impartial and accurate news; it is important that trust in their brands is preserved. We welcome initiatives taken by individual broadcasters, including the recent guidelines announced by the BBC.
Recommendation 5
Recommended (the committee's words)The Government should empower Ofcom to regulate online news content produced by UK public service broadcasters in the same way it regulates broadcast content.
Conclusion 6
Concluded (the committee's words)There is no real distinction between broadcasters’ social media accounts and those of their journalists.
Conclusion 7
Concluded (the committee's words)Ofcom should be empowered to ensure that public service broadcasters monitor the accuracy and impartiality of their journalists’ public social media posts and take appropriate action where necessary.
Conclusion 8
Concluded (the committee's words)In a complex news landscape, media literacy is crucial. It means more than identifying ‘fake news’; it is about understanding journalistic processes and their value, how news is presented online and how it is funded. We commend the work of Ofcom and media literacy organisations in improving media literacy for young people. However, we are also concerned by evidence that people from lower socio-economic groups and older people have lower levels of media literacy.
Conclusion 9
Concluded (the committee's words)Work on media literacy suffers from a lack of co-ordination.
Recommendation 10
Recommended (the committee's words)We recommend that a regulatory body, which could be Ofcom, the Digital Authority we proposed in our report ‘Regulating in a Digital World’, or another body, should co-ordinate work on media literacy across Government, media organisations, platforms, academia and charities . Given the crowded regulatory landscape this should not be a new body. This body should look to France’s CLEMI for effective ways to coordinate media literacy.
Conclusion 11
Concluded (the committee's words)The Government’s upcoming media literacy strategy should include coordination between the Department for Education, Ofsted and Ofcom on how to better integrate critical thinking and media literacy into the school curriculum.
Conclusion 12
Concluded (the committee's words)While regional consolidation may result in economic savings, we encourage continued engagement with communities as part of news, TV and radio production through use of new technologies. Increased programme making in and for the regions can also help bring about an expansion of journalism, creating jobs in local areas and providing opportunities for aspiring journalists, particularly for those from a socioeconomically disadvantaged background; this could help promote the Government’s “levelling-up” agenda.
Conclusion 13
Concluded (the committee's words)News organisations which have launched ‘engaged journalism’ schemes to build relationships with the communities they serve should be commended, as should those which have increased transparency by explaining their journalistic processes in innovative ways. We believe that an important way to serve communities better is by ensuring that newsrooms are representative of their audiences. We consider this issue in Chapter 3.
Conclusion 14
Concluded (the committee's words)A central role of journalism is to publicise the work of public bodies, including courts. However, we have heard concerns about the limited availability of online data about court proceedings. We welcome the Government’s commitment “to identify what more can be done to facilitate journalists’ access to and reporting of court proceedings”.
Conclusion 15
Concluded (the committee's words)We welcome the introduction of the Crown Court (Recording and Broadcasting) Order 2020. However, restrictions on use of audio, photography and video in court remain and are arguably outdated in today’s multimedia news environment
Recommendation 16
Recommended (the committee's words)We recommend that the Government review legislation banning the use of recording devices in court and consider permanently implementing the relaxation of live streaming of certain court hearings.
Conclusion 17
Concluded (the committee's words)Equality of opportunity to enter journalism is not only a question of fairness: it is also crucial for their output that newsrooms benefit from a diversity of views and perspectives. This should be a natural result of different backgrounds and life experiences being represented in the newsroom, so long as newsrooms create and maintain a pluralistic culture.
Conclusion 18
Concluded (the committee's words)We have heard that news organisations increasingly expect applicants to have completed several internships, limiting the socio-economic diversity of potential applicants. Although not a complete solution, creative approaches to recruiting interns can help level the playing-field and limit the effects of unconscious bias. It is also crucial that interns are paid. (Para 144)
Conclusion 19
Concluded (the committee's words)We encourage the industry to draw up a diversity charter, including the following commitments: To advertise all vacancies openly To develop approaches to internship recruitment for applicants which provide a level playing field for those with diverse backgrounds and experiences To pay all interns enough to cover all necessary expenses, including accommodation To report annually on the diversity of their workforce and the steps they are taking to address inequalities of opportunity. This should include data on retention and progression and cover the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010 as well as socio-economic background.
Recommendation 20
Recommended (the committee's words)We recommend that the Government should grant Ofcom’s request to extend its power to oblige broadcasters to report on the gender, race and disability of their staff to other characteristics. Socio-economic background should be one of the characteristics. We reiterate our recommendation in ‘Public Service Broadcasting: as Vital as Ever’ that, as 48 per cent of public service broadcasters’ programmes—including news and current affairs programmes—are made by independent production companies, Ofcom should have the same powers to report on crews making programmes for public service broadcasters whether they are in-house or independent.
Conclusion 21
Concluded (the committee's words)Going to university can be a valuable route into journalism. However, it has become almost the only route. As many local news organisations’ training schemes have been cancelled, the industry has increasingly relied on universities to train journalists. The requirement for a Bachelor’s degree and increasing desirability of a Master’s degree limits the diversity of backgrounds and experiences of members of the profession.
Conclusion 22
Concluded (the committee's words)As in our reports on the theatre industry, the advertising industry and public service broadcasting, we have again found that the Apprenticeship Levy is failing young people who would like to work in the media or creative industries.
Recommendation 23
Recommended (the committee's words)We reiterate our call for urgent reform to allow the pooling of funds to create training agencies and to allow a portion of Levy funds to be spent on apprentices’ wages or other expenses associated with employing them. The Government’s failure to act has cost young people and the industry. If, despite its professed commitment to apprenticeships, the Government still will not reform the Levy, it should provide—in parallel—arm’s -length funding for news organisations to take on apprentices, which they could pool to set up a training agency. Local news organisations should receive priority for any such funding.
Conclusion 24
Concluded (the committee's words)We are concerned by the challenges freelance journalists face in dealing with news organisations, in which there is usually a significant imbalance of power.
Recommendation 25
Recommended (the committee's words)We welcome the Government’s proposals to strengthen the powers of the Small Business Commissioner and encourage the Government and the Commissioner to work with freelance journalists to ensure that these new powers address the difficulties they face relating to unfair payment practices, including late payment, payment on publication and ‘kill fees’. The Government should consult on whether further legislation is needed to strengthen the rights of freelancers, including whether contract law should be amended to ensure that freelancers are not solely liable for legal costs arising from their work and whether copyright law should be reformed to make freelance–author copyright ownership inalienable.
Conclusion 26
Concluded (the committee's words)We welcome the completion of the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study on online platforms and digital advertising. This Committee called for the market study in April 2018. It was launched in July 2019, after the Furman review, the Cairncross Review and Which? supported our recommendation.
Recommendation 27
Recommended (the committee's words)The Government should set up the proposed Digital Markets Unit as a matter of urgency and ensure that it has the powers and resources it needs. The possibility that the establishment of the Digital Markets Unit could be delayed until 2022 or later is unacceptable. The news industry cannot afford to wait that long. There are strong arguments in favour of undertaking a market investigation into the online advertising market in parallel to this work. However, the CMA is justified in leaving the issue for the Digital Markets Unit provided that the Government acts swiftly.
Conclusion 28
Concluded (the committee's words)There is a fundamental imbalance of power between news publishers and platforms. Due to their dominant market position, Facebook and Google can stipulate the terms on which they use publishers’ content. This includes whether and how much they pay for news appearing on their platform, which news sources their algorithms rank most highly and how much notice they give publishers of changes to these algorithms. Algorithms are a product of the human value judgments of their designers, but there is a lack of transparency about them and designers’ possible biases. We will examine this issue further in our next inquiry, on freedom of expression online.
Recommendation 29
Recommended (the committee's words)The Government should use the Online Harms Bill to legislate for a mandatory news bargaining code modelled on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s proposal. Once it is set up, the Digital Markets Unit should take on responsibility for this and keep under review publishers’ concerns about the ways in which platforms use their content. The Government and regulators should work closely with international partners on this issue.
Conclusion 30
Concluded (the committee's words)There are a range of initiatives to support news organisations, including the Nesta Future News Pilot Fund, the BBC Local Democracy Reporting Service, the Facebook Journalism Project and the Google News Initiative. The independence of these schemes is crucial.
Recommendation 31
Recommended (the committee's words)However, we call on the Government to take the lead on developing a more strategic approach to funding journalism. The Government should use its convening power to provide a forum for organisations to co-ordinate their schemes and share successes. Encouraging greater coherence will help funds more effectively support established news media organisations to adapt to rapid digital change. The Government should encourage those with the deepest pockets to come together, step-up and support journalism—both now and as new challenges emerge in future.
Conclusion 32
Concluded (the committee's words)We have heard concerns from across the industry that smaller news organisations can be a victim of the BBC’s online success.
Recommendation 33
Recommended (the committee's words)To support pluralism in the industry, we recommend that the BBC should include an aggregator section on the BBC News website and app linking to stories on smaller and local news organisations’ websites .
Conclusion 34
Concluded (the committee's words)Charitable status can be beneficial for some news organisations; however, this model is relatively uncommon in the UK. Charitable news organisations must comply with charity law restrictions on campaigning and may not use their resources for non-charitable purposes. This means that while charitable status may not be advantageous for more traditional business models, it could provide a new not-for-profit model for the future. It could be beneficial for some community news outlets, as well as other innovative start-ups and niche publications that provide a valuable civic function but can struggle to achieve commercial success.
Conclusion 35
Concluded (the committee's words)We welcome the Charity Commission’s recognition that our inquiry has evidenced the public benefit of public interest journalism and encourage the Charity Commission to continue to recognise public interest journalism as a charitable purpose.
Reports
1st Report - Breaking News? The Future of UK Journalism
- HC No.
- Not recorded
- Published
- 27 Nov 2020
- Items
- 35
- Government response
- Government response published 2 March 2021 (deadline 2 March 2021). Read the government's response ↗
Oral evidence sessions
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| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Jul 2020 |
Oral evidence session
Michael Jermey · ITV
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| 14 Jul 2020 |
Oral evidence session
Anna Mallett · ITN,
David Jordan · BBC,
Jamie Angus · BBC,
Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
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| 8 Jul 2020 |
Oral evidence session
Daniel Gordon · Competition and Markets Authority,
Dr Liza Lovdahl Gormsen · British Institute of International and Comparative Law,
Professor Damien Geradin · Geradin Partners,
Simeon Thornton · Competition and Markets Authority,
Will Hayter · Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
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| 23 Jun 2020 |
Oral evidence session
David Dinsmore · News UK,
Edward Bowles · Facebook,
Peter Wright · DMG Media,
Tom Morrison-Bell · Google
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| 16 Jun 2020 |
Oral evidence session
Fraser Nelson · The Spectator,
Jason Cowley · New Statesman,
Julie Etchingham,
Sir Robbie Gibb
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| 9 Jun 2020 |
Oral evidence session
Adam Cantwell-Corn · The Bristol Cable,
Michelle Stanistreet · National Union of Journalists,
Mr Edward Iliffe · Iliffe Media,
Mr Ian Murray · Society of Editors
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| 2 Jun 2020 |
Oral evidence session
Andrew Dickinson · Manchester Metropolitan University,
Anna Codrea-Rado,
Professor Charlie Beckett · London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE),
William Cook
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| 12 May 2020 |
Oral evidence session
Adam Thomas · European Journalism Centre,
Anna Hamilos · NESTA,
Jimmy Buckland · Wireless Group,
Will Harding · Global Media & Entertainment
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| 5 May 2020 |
Oral evidence session
Asif Sadiq MBE · Adidas,
Chris Waiting · British Broadcasting Challenge,
Laura García · PressPad,
Libby Drew · On Our Radar,
Olivia Crellin · PressPad
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| 17 Mar 2020 |
Oral evidence session
Anaïs Adriaens-Allemand · CLEMI,
Matteo Bergamini · Shout Out UK,
Megan Lucero · The Bureau Local
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| 10 Mar 2020 |
Oral evidence session
Nic Newman · Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism,
Rossalyn Warren,
Will Gore · National Council for the Training of Journalists
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| 3 Mar 2020 |
Oral evidence session
Dr Seth Lewis · University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication,
Professor Karin Wahl-Jorgensen · Cardiff University School of Journalism Media and Cultural Studies
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| 25 Feb 2020 |
Oral evidence session
Dr Alison Preston · Ofcom,
Rasmus Nielsen · University of Oxford,
Vikki Cook · Ofcom
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Who gave evidence
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| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Adam Cantwell-Corn · Co-Founder | The Bristol Cable | 1 |
| Adam Thomas · Director | European Journalism Centre | 1 |
| Anaïs Adriaens-Allemand · International Project Manager | CLEMI | 1 |
| Andrew Dickinson · Senior Lecturer in Multimedia Journalism | Manchester Metropolitan University | 1 |
| Anna Codrea-Rado | Not recorded | 1 |
| Anna Hamilos · Senior Programme Manager | NESTA | 1 |
| Anna Mallett · Chief Executive Officer | ITN | 1 |
| Asif Sadiq MBE · Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion | Adidas | 1 |
| Chris Waiting · Steering Group Member | British Broadcasting Challenge | 1 |
| Daniel Gordon · Senior Director of Markets | Competition and Markets Authority | 1 |
| David Dinsmore · Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer | News UK | 1 |
| David Jordan · Director, Editorial Policy and Standards | BBC | 1 |
| Dr Alison Preston · Head of Media Literacy and Research | Ofcom | 1 |
| Dr Liza Lovdahl Gormsen · Director of the Competition Law Forum & Senior Research Fellow In Competition Law | British Institute of International and Comparative Law | 1 |
| Dr Seth Lewis · Associate Professor, Shirley Papé Chair in Emerging Media | University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication | 1 |
| Edward Bowles · Director of Public Policy for Northern, Central and Eastern Europe | 1 | |
| Fraser Nelson · Editor | The Spectator | 1 |
| Jamie Angus · Director, World Service Group | BBC | 1 |
| Jason Cowley · Editor | New Statesman | 1 |
| Jimmy Buckland · Director of Strategy | Wireless Group | 1 |
| Julie Etchingham | Not recorded | 1 |
| Laura García · Co-Founder | PressPad | 1 |
| Libby Drew · Founding Director | On Our Radar | 1 |
| Matteo Bergamini · CEO and Founder | Shout Out UK | 1 |
| Megan Lucero · Director | The Bureau Local | 1 |
| Michael Jermey · Director of News | ITV | 1 |
| Michelle Stanistreet · General Secretary | National Union of Journalists | 1 |
| Mr Edward Iliffe · Chief Executive Officer | Iliffe Media | 1 |
| Mr Ian Murray · Executive Director | Society of Editors | 1 |
| Nic Newman · Senior Research Associate | Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism | 1 |
| Olivia Crellin · Founder and Chief Executive Officer | PressPad | 1 |
| Peter Wright · Editor Emeritus | DMG Media | 1 |
| Professor Charlie Beckett · Professor of Practice, Director of Polis and the Polis/LSE JournalismAI project | London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) | 1 |
| Professor Damien Geradin · founding partner | Geradin Partners | 1 |
| Professor Karin Wahl-Jorgensen · Director of Research Development and Environment | Cardiff University School of Journalism Media and Cultural Studies | 1 |
| Rasmus Nielsen · Director, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism and Professor of Political Communication | University of Oxford | 1 |
| Rossalyn Warren | Not recorded | 1 |
| Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP · Minister for Media and Data | Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport | 1 |
| Simeon Thornton · Director | Competition and Markets Authority | 1 |
| Sir Robbie Gibb | Not recorded | 1 |
| Tom Morrison-Bell · Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager | 1 | |
| Vikki Cook · Director of Content and Media | Ofcom | 1 |
| Will Gore · Head of Partnerships and Projects | National Council for the Training of Journalists | 1 |
| Will Harding · Chief Strategy Officer | Global Media & Entertainment | 1 |
| Will Hayter · Senior Director, Digital Markets Unit | Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) | 1 |
| William Cook | Not recorded | 1 |
Correspondence
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