Source · Select Committees · Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Recommendation 7
7
The news media are vital stakeholders for major events, amplifying them at home and abroad...
Conclusion
The news media are vital stakeholders for major events, amplifying them at home and abroad and delivering greater value for money. Moreover, beyond this purely instrumentalist role, there is an intrinsic value to free and reliable reporting of major events. It is, therefore, concerning to hear of increased restrictions on reporting at major events and that the news media’s requirements are not always fully considered in event planning and delivery. DCMS and UK Sport should, in consultation with news media organisations, update the Gold Framework to set out requirements for publicly funded events to protect media freedoms and consider coverage requirements from bid stage and throughout the lifecycle of each event. (Paragraph 58) Delivering a meaningful legacy
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Government agrees that effective media coverage of major events is critical to their success, ensuring as broad an audience as possible. There is evidence to suggest that national pride is enhanced by positive and widespread media and TV coverage of events. For example, in the UK the Platinum Jubilee attracted the biggest viewing audience of the year, peaking at 13.4 million for the Party in the Palace on BBC One. The Gold Framework guidance on UK-level support available when bidding for and staging major sporting events sets out the high-level support that can be offered by both DCMS and UK Sport in the bidding for and hosting of major sporting events. In its current form, the Gold Framework already sets out the world-leading telecoms technology and infrastructure that exceeds requirements for international broadcast. In the context of the current update to the Framework, we will ensure that it encourages early engagement with broadcasters and news media outlets when considering prospective bids, working within any parameters set by event owners and/or International Federations. Furthermore, we consider the free reporting of events of national significance to be a key priority. As an example, for the first time in the Commonwealth Games history, I-Zones will be used in Birmingham 2022 competition venues instead of formal post-event press conferences, in order to create a more relaxed, convivial and natural interaction with the media. I-Zones provide an opportunity, upon request, for the media to sit down and speak with athletes after they have competed in a less formal setting. As the Committee has recognised, this approach should enable richer interviews, a less stressful experience for the competitor and a better experience for all involved, offering an opportunity for a longer conversation in a relaxed environment rather than the traditional press conference format. This approach has been used successfully at a number of major events in the UK including the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Birmingham in 2018. The International Hockey Federation also now uses them following their introduction at the Women’s World Cup in London in 2018 and the Invictus Games in London in 2014 (as well as at subsequent Games).