The Ownership of News

The current monopoly control exercised over the production and distribution of "News" is a subject too important to be left to those who own the press or own and administer the broadcasting media as Nick Davies demonstrated in Flat Earth News. Now all the evidence you might want about the monopoly has been published in a two volume report published today by the House of Lords Select Committee on The Ownership of News. The report is in two volumes: Volume 1 is the Report, and volume 2 contains the Evidence.

"Owners can and do influence the news in a variety of ways. They are in a position to have significant political impact. The consolidation of media ownership adds to the risk of disproportionate influence. The Committee recommends reform of the public interest test criteria for newspaper mergers and also believes that reforming cross-media ownership restrictions on regional and local newspaper and radio mergers is necessary."

Available as free pdf or html downloads from:

www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/reports_recent.htm