Politicians must have the courage to curb excessive media power

Nick Davies is right about the increasingly uneasy relationship between the Murdoch media machine and politicians across the left-right spectrum (Murdoch’s grip is loosening. All that protects him is fear, 7 April). Davies has thrown down the gauntlet, but which political party will be brave enough to pick it up?

Whoever contemplates this daunting but all-important challenge should keep in mind that public opinion is on their side. A YouGov poll last week showed that 74% of the public believe that in order to own a UK newspaper, radio station or TV channel, companies should be based in the UK and pay full UK tax. Moreover, 61% are in favour of rules to limit the influence of owners over editorial output.

Murdoch might treat his readers and viewers as “ballot fodder”, but the public is hungry for change. People know that until the grip of media moguls is broken or at least loosened, there can be no real democracy.

As the Media Reform Coalition and the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom have laid out in their joint media manifesto, there are effective and feasible measures that could be taken. These could include a public interest test should a company or individual own more than 15% in a designated market, caps on ownership and regular plurality reviews by Ofcom, with ministers stripped of the ability to make decisions on takeovers. What we need now are politicians with the courage to listen to the public and act now to curb excessive media power.
Professor Des Freedman Chair, Media Reform Coalition
Dr Jonathan Hardy Secretary, Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom

How refreshing to read an unexpurgated account of Rupert Murdoch’s political machinations, but let us not forget the pernicious influence he has exerted on the climate change debate. In the US, one voter in four believes that climate change is a conspiracy dreamed up by scientists to further their own research budgets, a delusion that can be laid squarely at the door of Fox News, owned of course by Rupert Murdoch. An academic study showed that Fox viewers actually know less about world affairs than people who don’t watch any news at all!

Murdoch’s support of fracking is reinforced by commentators such as Matt Ridley whose sceptical views on climate change are given prominence out of all proportion to his scientific credentials in publications such as the Times and even the Wall Street Journal. Leaders in the Times such as the one entitled “Frack, Baby, Frack” illustrate the atrocious lack of balance that now afflicts this once great newspaper.
Dr Robin Russell-Jones
Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire

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