So far, any analysis of the role of the media in the forthcoming UK election has focused overwhelmingly on the leaders’ debates and on the 'horse-race' coverage. But very little has been said about the crucial issue which underpins the agenda-setting power of news organisations—the domination of the media by a handful of giant corporations.
A new poll conducted by YouGov for the Media Reform Coalition has proved what campaigners have long been arguing: there is strong public support for measures to tackle media concentration, to make proprietors more accountable to their audiences and their journalists and to secure funds for new forms of local and investigative journalism.
Nearly three-quarters (74%) of those polled said they support controls on media ownership, while a substantial minority, some 41%, believe that existing rules should be strengthened by setting fixed limits on the amount of media any one proprietor or entity can own. Similarly, 74% believe that owners of UK media should be required to have UK residency and pay full UK taxes, while 61% would support compulsory rules or structures (such as genuinely independent editorial boards) to limit the influence of owners over editorial output.
