Dear colleagues - the Policy network as a whole may be interested in the  exchanges below between members who'd been involved in the briefing meeting with officials from the DCMS held on September 11th. A report on this will appear in the next newsletter - the meeting was held under Chatham House Rules, so the report is brief and factual, but those who attended thought it was a useful meeting.

Steve Barnett (see below) has summarised his thoughts on public opinion re topslicing the BBC license fee in an article in Guardian Media online. See
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/organgrinder/2009/sep/17/government-bbc-topslicing-survey

I was delighted to see that as an illustration to his argument, Steve included a You Tube clip from Yes Prime Minister about questionnaire construction. I've used this clip many times over the years in teaching research methods.

Hope all had a good summer

best

Máire




Máire Messenger Davies, PhD, FRSA (Professor)
Director, Centre for Media Research,
School of Media, Film and Journalism
University of Ulster
Cromore Rd, Coleraine BT52 1SA
Telephone: +44(0)28324069
www.arts.ulster.ac.uk/media/cmr.html
http://www.mcgraw-hill.co.uk/html/0335229204.html




-----Original Message-----
From: Steven Barnett [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thu 17/09/2009 11:40 PM
To: Messenger Davies Maire; Sylvia Harvey; [log in to unmask]
Cc: [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; Ivor Gaber; Carole Tongue
Subject: RE: DCMS survey of public opinion (post MeCCSA/DCMS Briefing Mtg)

I have no objection, if you think others will want to read it. I was sufficiently cross to write a piece for mediaguardian's website which may (or may not) go up tomorrow.



Steve.




Prof Steven Barnett

Professor of Communications

University of Westminster

Watford Road,

Harrow, Middx

HA1 3TP



email: [log in to unmask]

Direct Line: +44 20 7911 5981

________________________________

From: Messenger Davies Maire [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 17 September 2009 22:39
To: Sylvia Harvey; [log in to unmask]; Steven Barnett
Cc: [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; Ivor Gaber; Carole Tongue
Subject: RE: DCMS survey of public opinion (post MeCCSA/DCMS Briefing Mtg)



Dear all - given the currency and seriousness of these issues - can this discussion be circulated to the whole Policy list? At the moment it's only going to the participants of the DCMS group - but there are certainly others in the network who would be interested in these issues.

best

Máire

Máire Messenger Davies, PhD, FRSA (Professor)
Director, Centre for Media Research,
School of Media, Film and Journalism
University of Ulster
Cromore Rd, Coleraine BT52 1SA
Telephone: +44(0)28324069
www.arts.ulster.ac.uk/media/cmr.html
http://www.mcgraw-hill.co.uk/html/0335229204.html




-----Original Message-----
From: Sylvia Harvey [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thu 17/09/2009 10:37 PM
To: [log in to unmask]; Steven Barnett
Cc: [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; Ivor Gaber; Carole Tongue
Subject: RE: DCMS survey of public opinion (post MeCCSA/DCMS Briefing Mtg)

Dear All,
regarding the DCMS data published yesterday, I agree entirely with Steve's comments on tendentious questionnaire design and note the 'coincidence' that these research results were released on the same day as the major speech given by the Secretary of State to the RTS Cambridge Convention. However here are a few possibly interesting related points:

1. The speech also refers to the possibility of ending the prohibition on product placement on commercial channels in 2010. This would be a new regulatory asset that could be used to require ITV to reinvest in regional news; and it could obviate the need to use Licence Fee money...(what have ITV actually offered in return?)
2. The first part of the DCMS/BRMB questionaire gives clear evidence of how little is generally understood about how BBC services are funded. Asked 'which services do you think the money from the licence fee pays for?'
- 42% were unaware that the LF pays for BBC radio (how do they think it is funded?)
- 50% were unaware that the LF pays for BBC Online/bbc.co.uk

In case of interest you might want to check in the next few days on the websites of the VLV (www.vlv.org.uk )
and the Citizens' Coalition for Public Service Broadcasting (www.publicservicebroadcasting.org.uk ) to see if their final or draft submissions are available there.
best wishes, Sylvia

________________________________

From: Natalie Fenton [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thu 17/09/2009 10:37
To: Steven Barnett
Cc: [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; Ivor Gaber; Carole Tongue
Subject: Re: DCMS survey of public opinion



Thanks Steve - this is very helpful. We are just pulling together our
response now and will certainly refer to this!
Natalie

Natalie Fenton
Department of Media and Communications
Goldsmiths College
University of London
New Cross
London SE14 6NW
Tel: +44(0)20 79197620
http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/departments/media-communications/index.html

On Thu, September 17, 2009 10:11 am, Steven Barnett wrote:
> I know some of you have already responded to Digital Britain, but I
> wanted to draw everyone's attention to the distorted study of public
> opinion which DCMS have just published. I thoroughly recommend it as a
> teaching case study on getting the answer you want through judicious
> questionnaire design. The report, full questionnaire and technical report
> from the research company BMRB can be found here:
>
> http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/research_and_statistics/6344
> .aspx
>
>
>
> In his RTS speech last night Ben Bradshaw said that "two thirds of those
> questioned supported our idea of using the equivalent fraction of the
> licence fee that's currently ring-finced for switchover to secure plural
> regional news for the future". That is quite true - after interviewees had
> first been thoroughly primed that some of the licence fee was already
> being used for digital switchover, after they had been asked several
> questions about news consumption and about their views on plurality in
> local news, and after they had been told that ITV can't afford it!
>
> I particularly like the bit in the technical report which made sure,
> after piloting the questionnaire, that there was absolutely no doubt in
> respondents' minds: "It is recommended that the second information text
> box refers back to the portion of the licence fee that had been used for
> digital switchover, and that could potentially be used for regional and
> local news on other channels".
>
> The questionnaire does not mention that the switchover element provides
> no money for programmes on competitor channels, no suggestion that other
> funding options are available, no alternatives for use of that money
> beyond regional news, and no option for the licence fee to be reduced.
>
> It is at best disingenuous, at worst dishonest. Those who are yet to
> respond may want to refer to it.
>
> Steve
>
>
>
> P.S. Having learned the skills of good market and social research at
> BMRB early in my career, I don't think they are at fault. The problem is
> with the organ grinder, not the monkey.
>
>
>
> Prof Steven Barnett
> Professor of Communications
> School of Media, Art and Design
> University of Westminster
> Watford Road, Harrow
> Middlesex HA1 3TP
>
>
> Direct Line: +44 (0)20 7911 5981
> email: [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
> --
> The University of Westminster is a charity and a company limited by
> guarantee.  Registration number: 977818 England.  Registered Office: 309
> Regent Street, London W1B 2UW, UK.
>
>









--
The University of Westminster is a charity and a company limited by
guarantee.  Registration number: 977818 England.  Registered Office:
309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW, UK.

------------------------------------------------- MeCCSA Policy mailing list W: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/meccsa-policy.html

Please visit this page to browse list's archives, or to join or leave the list.