As the panel considering the future of ITV news packed up and headed out of town last night, the word on the street was ‘citizen journalism’.
All three bidders for the £6 Million pilot to provide Welsh news for the third channel promised to democratise news provision by opening up news gathering to the masses. Who needs professionals when you can have amateurs?
Of course it could all go pear shaped as the Tories have promised to unpick any contract signed if they win the General Election.
But regardless of the outcome an important principle has been recognised. Wales needs more than the BBC to provide a ‘plurality’ of news coverage, and if the market can’t provide it then the State has a role.
But clearly it is not just broadcasting that presents a problem. Less than 1% of the population now read the Western Mail. The business model of the regional press is imploding across the world. As the Guardian’s Alan Rusbridger noted in his very interesting Cudlipp lecture “the old models are breaking faster than the new models can be put into place”.
On Monday Sir Martin Sorrell, one of the biggest buyers of advertising in the world, suggested that governments might have to consider subsidising newspapers such as the Guardian to maintain a diversity of editorial viewpoints if their losses reached a point that would force them to close.
After all if banks are too important to fail why not newspapers?
I have little doubt that ‘hyper-local’ news will flourish in the digital age – as Rob Williams discussed in an excellent posting over on Wales Home. My worry is the all-Wales level. How can we sustain a democratic tier in the face of a profound information deficit?
As I’ve argued here before there’s a case for looking at a Welsh equivalent of the Scott Trust – the not for profit foundation that owns the Guardian Media Group. A public interest company underwritten by the taxpayer that could safeguard Welsh news.
Len Gibbs 4:33 pm on 3 February, 2010 Permalink
“the slow and complicated system of law making will get even worse”
Peter Hain and Hywel Francis say the opposite and assure us that the process is now working well.
“Whitehall will feel emboldened and legitimised in frustrating the Assembly’s requests.”
A point of view that has no immediate evidential basis. But then, we have to have something to say until we know exactly what, when and if and the question is defined.
Lee 9:44 pm on 3 February, 2010 Permalink
Perhaps you should read the evidence submitted to the Welsh Select Committee, or study the experience of the Environment LCO, or Welsh Language LCO, or the Mental Health LCO, or the Fire Sprinklers LCO.
I can see why you quote the above, I fear you are all indulging in an element of wishful thinking. The evidence is clear. The system is unnecessarily slow and long -winded, partly because of Whitehall indifference or obduracy. And a No vote will make it much worse