Dear Meccsa Policy Network Colleagues 

If you are attending the Meccsa Conference in Leeds this week, please  do attend the Meccsa Policy Group Network Annual Meeting on 12 January 1-2pm, in Lecture Theatre 3, School of Music.  Please find below an agenda for the meeting plus this year’s annual report and last year’s minutes (unfortunately the list doesn’t accept attachments)

If you are interested in hosting a policy related event in 2017 with the involvement and support of the Meccsa Policy Network, please come to the meeting or email me at [log in to unmask].  

MECCSA POLICY GROUP MEETING AGENDA  - Thursday 12 January 2017 1pm, Lecture Theatre 3, School of Music, University of Leeds

Chair:  Jeanette Steemers; Vice Chair Jonathan Hardy

 

1.    Apologies

2.    Minutes of the Policy Meeting at Meccsa 2016 

3.    Chair and Officers – Chair, Vice-Chair and other Officers

4.    2016 Report

5.    Policy issues for 2017

a.    Press Reform – Leveson 2/Section 40

b.    BBC – Aftermath of Charter Renewal

c.    Channel 4

d.    Digital Economy Bill

e.    Media Ownership (Sky)

f.     Other Policy Issues

6.    Event suggestions/proposals 2017

7.    5. Summary of Action – Recommendations for future events and initiatives. 

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POLICY NETWORK REPORT, JANUARY 2017 - FOR MECCSA AGM 2017

Chair: Jeanette Steemers (King’s College);  Vice Chair: Jonathan Hardy (UEL)

The aim of the MeCCSA Policy Network is to exchange ideas and research findings, but also to join with civil society – NGOs, media workers’ organisations, press freedom campaigns, consumer groups and so on – in their debates with regulators, broadcasters and the Government. A particular goal, where appropriate, is to support such groups by providing them with expert evidence, based on academic research.

Policy issues continue to engage our members through our dedicated Policy Network List and additionally through letters to the press, blogs, articles and social media contributions throughout the year.

Members have also contributed to media reform and policy discussions in MeCCSA’s newsletter, Three-D – most recently in Issue 27 which saw several contributions on Leveson 2 at http://www.meccsa.org.uk/news/three-d-issue-27/ (Issue 27/2016) and Issue 26 on the Chilcott Report and the future of public service broadcasting in the wake of the Government’s White Paper on the BBC in May 2016 http://www.meccsa.org.uk/news/three-d-issue-26/

Members have participated in many seminars and conferences throughout the year organized by academic institutions and other organisations; and the group has organized panels and debates, including a policy panel at the Meccsa 2016 conference last January and a policy panel at July’s IAMCR conference.

POLICY ENGAGEMENT 2016

Meccsa policy group members have continued to engage with BBC Charter review responding to the government White Paper (May 2016) and the publication of the draft Charter and Licence in September.  Several policy network members were invited on 29 September 2016 to meet the new DCMS Secretary of State, Karen Bradley, to discuss Charter Review alongside other commentators and experts.  Policy group members who submitted evidence to Charter Review were referenced in the DCMS Summary of Responses, published in March 2016, . While the government withdrew plans to set up a BBC Board dominated by government appointments, there are still many uncertainties for BBC independence in respect of funding, governance, and how the Corporation is regulated against the wider media market.

All year colleagues at Goldsmith’s collected submissions of evidence from many academic colleagues alongside a wide range of contributions from other organisations and commentators for an independent inquiry on “A Future for Public Service Television: Content and Platforms in a Digital World” chaired by Lord Puttnam. The findings of the inquiry were published in June (http://futureoftv.org.uk/report/). Submissions can be read here http://futureoftv.org.uk/submissions-received/

Jonathan Hardy, Pat Holland, Julian Petley and other Meccsa members involved in the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom continue to campaign about issues on mainstream media and newer media.

Leveson and its ramifications for the press and media freedom remains an important issue. In January 2017 MeCCSA submitted a response to the DCMS consultation on the Leveson inquiry and its implementation, drawing on research by its members on press regulation, ethics and standards.  The previous Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport announced in October 2015 that he was not minded to commence section 40 at that particular time, a position with which MeCCSA does not concur.

Policy group members have also been actively involved in debates around the Digital Economy Bill, Channel 4, and press complaints.  Members have submitted evidence in 2016 to the House of Lords Communications Committee inquiries on Children and the Internet; and the Sustainability of Channel 4.

EVENTS/ACTIVITIES 2016

Canterbury January 2016:  The year kicked off with a well-attended plenary Panel discussion “Waiting for the BBC White Paper – What’s Missing” at the MeCCSA Conference in Canterbury last January, organised by Jeanette Steemers (King’s) and chaired by Natalie Fenton (Goldsmiths).  Combining academic and non-academic viewpoints the speakers included:

•       Paddy Barwise, London Business School

•       Sophie Chalk, Voice of the Listener and Viewer and Director of Advocacy, International Broadcasting Trust.

•       Des Freedman, Goldsmiths University

•       Bill Thompson, Head of Partnership Development for the BBC Archive.

 

IAMCR 2016:  Following on from the issues raised at Canterbury a follow-up MeccSa sponsored panel, The BBC and Public Service Broadcasting was organized by John Downey (Loughborough). This addressed the question of whether the BBC is safe in the hands of the present Conservative government. Paddy Barwise discussed the economic impacts of the government’s proposals on the industry and on citizens; Jonathan Hardy (East London) examined the influence of private sector lobbyists on the Charter renewal process; Sylvia Harvey (Leeds) explored the question of the BBC’s independence; Benedetta Brevini (Sydney) suggested that the BBC could help to foster an  algorithmic public sphere; and Bill Thompson, Head of Partnership Development at the BBC, talked about how a networked BBC can become more than a broadcaster. 

On Tuesday December 6th 2016 Sir Vince Cable, former Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills and former Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham, delivered the fourth Annual Leveson Lecture at the University of Westminster. He spoke about media plurality, ‘fake news’ and the Government’s 10-week consultation on Leveson implementation.

On 14^th December 2016 Simeon Yates from the Institute of Cultural Capital organised Understanding Digital Policy – an unconference at the University of Liverpool’s London Campus.  With financial support from MeCCSa, the event considered how policy is shaping the uptake and use of digital media, as well as how digital media and technologies are shaping policy-making and policy implementation. The workshop brought together academic researchers, policy makers and industry to explore issues around digital inclusion/exclusion, regulation, social and cultural policy;  digital tools to support policy-making and the use of digital technologies in delivering policy. The event was supported by the Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association – Policy network, the Digital Leaders network and was run by the ESRC “Ways of Being in a Digital Age” team. This event was funded with £600 from MeCCSa.  A report will be circulated in due course.

The LSE Media Policy Blog at http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/mediapolicyproject/ regularly publishes details of meetings and reports in the Policy area including many contributions by Policy Group Members.  Throughout the year policy group members have also contributed to the blogs of Open Democracy (OurBeeb).  Policy Network members were again involved in the organization of the Oxford Media Convention in 2016 on Towards a New Deal for Public Media. The University of Westminster hosted The BBC, the White Paper and Future of Children’s Content on 31 May 2016 in collaboration with Children’s Media Foundation and the Voice of the Listener and Viewer and launched a report on “Policy Solutions and International Perspectives on the funding of Public Service Media for Children”  as a contribution for stakeholders to the debate.

Relationships with civil society Policy network members continue to be actively involved with civil society groups including Ofcom; the Media Standards Trust; the Media Reform Coalition, Hacked Off; IMPRESS; the Voice of the Listener and Viewer; the Children’s Media Foundation and the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom.

Future Work The policy group would like to expand the scope of what it covers in policy – and welcomes initiatives that look beyond broadcasting and the press and also address mass/convergent media and wider digital communications issues.

Proposed Events 2017

The Future Shape of Regulation Across the UK – Raymond Boyle, University of Glasgow – with Ofcom.  Postponed from 2016.   – Estimated budget £1000

Branded Content Seminar – Jonathan Hardy – April 2016 (to be discussed at AGM)

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M    MECCSA Policy Group Meeting - Minutes

7 January 2016, Meccsa Conference, Canterbury Christ Church University

 

Apologies: Jeanette Steemers (University of Westminster) (chair)

 

Present: Natalie Fenton (Goldsmiths College), Agnes Gulyas (, Canterbury Christ Church), Corinne Schweizer (London School of Economics), Stefanie Ostertag (University of Zurich), Jonathan Hardy (University of East London), Alison Preston (Ofcom), James Thickett (Ofcom), Simeon Yates (Liverpool University), Lizzie Jackson (London South Bank University).

Natalie Fenton agreed to  chair the meeting as Jeanette Steemers was unwell. This was a relatively small meeting with fewer members of the policy network present than in previous years. There was some continuity with those who attended the 2015 meeting as well as some attending the policy group for the first time.

1.    Minutes of the Policy Meeting at Meccsa 2015

Jonathan gave a verbal report on the 2015 minutes and report of work. The minutes had been previously circulated online to those registered to the network. Minutes agreed. 

2.    Chair and officers

The meeting discussed the need for officers and whether new officers should be elected. Jonathan reported that Jeanette Steemers had been nominated and agreed to be vice-chair at the January 2015 meeting.  Máire Messenger Davies stood down as chair in November. It was agreed that the policy group should proceed with Jeanette as chair and consider the appointment of additional officers after discussion at a suitably well attended meeting and consultation with the policy group online.

 

Future programme of work and policy issues

 

The main topic of the meeting was discussion of ongoing and upcoming policy issues that the Policy Group should address and discussion of a suitable programme of activities and action.

 

3.    BBC charter renewal

 

The meeting discussed work on the BBC Charter renewal by Policy Group members and organisations they are involved with including the Media Reform Coalition, Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Voice of the Listener and Viewer,. The meeting discussed the forthcoming While Paper and Policy Group activities. The relative lack of interest and involvement by media students was discussed and the meeting agreed that initiatives to engage students should be discussed across the network.

 

4.    Press Reform

 

Natalie reported on the current situation regarding press reform, IPSO and Impress. She highlighted that IPSO was non-compliant with the Leveson recommendations agreed by all parties in Parliament. She said that key demands for Hacked Off and other groups was for the Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 to come into effect and for Leveson 2 (the issues for the planned second phase of the Leveson Enquiry) to be initiated.

 

5.    Channel Four/Public Service Media

 

The meeting discussed the threat of privatisation of Channel Four and proposed that the policy group discuss plans for an event or events in 2016. Various aspects were discussed that might be combined into one or more events.

a.     An academic review of Channel Four, addressing purposes and performance, the the threat of privatisation for Channel Four and the importance of Channel Four in the wider ecology of public service media.

b.     A review of the historical content in which Channel Four emerged and the relevance of reviewing those conditions today. This would review the demands from social movements, creative practitioners in the workshop movements to ‘open up’ broadcasting and reflect on the historical struggles of feminists, Black and minority ethnic groups, LGBT, disability activists and others, as well as assessing how far that period of opening up compares with contemporary practices, ‘access’ and resources.

c.     A broader focus on the future provision and delivery of public service media in the UK (and other media systems). This might broaden the scope to consider conceptions of the public and public good (Natalie) and consider platforms, forms and distributed models for public service media (Lizzie)

In relation to c. Alison suggested that work could involve students and investigate their changing modes of involvement with audiovisual content on linear TV and online and their recognition of public service media within their engagements with content and services.  Topics include the use and understanding of audiovisual content, discoverability, perceptions of PSM purposes and awareness of policy issues and action. 

 

Jonathan suggested that some of this agenda linked to the initiative led by Des Freedman (Goldsmiths) and David Puttnam for a wide-ranging review of the future provision of public service media. Natalie gave more details but it was agreed this was complementary and that one or more events focused around Channel Four would be the target for Policy Group action in 2016.

 

James discussed links with Ofcom research and reviews including its review of the production sector and into diversity in the workforce across media production. He highlighted government concern about the production sector. There might be scope for some involvement by Ofcom research in the proposed event(s), which can be discussed as the proposal is developed by the Policy Group.

 

6.    Digital (social) policy, literacy and exclusions

 

Simeon asked about the remit of the policy group and whether it focused on mass/convergent media or wider digital communications issues. Jonathan reported on the discussion at the 2015 meeting and the strong endorsement there that the policy group’s interests and remit was co-extensive with Meccsa as a whole and very much welcomes a broad agenda covering all aspects of media and communications policy issues.

 

Simeon discussed the UKs digital by default policy affecting welfare and social policy including the detrimental impact on disadvantaged groups of a punitive system of mandatory online activity for unemployment benefit claimants as discussed in several plenary and session papers at the Meccsa conference. Simeon proposed organising a meeting to discuss digital policy issues, digital literacy and social exclusion, addressing concerns about policies shaped for a digital elite that risked leaving many behind. He said this could link to a digital leaders network of some 60 people he was involved with.

 

Natalie explained that money was available to contribute to the costs of events organised by MeCCSA groups. She said this was done by putting a proposal in writing to the MeCCSA Executive. It was agreed that an event in Liverpool would be very welcome in bringing together interested members of the Policy Group and that it would be valuable to discuss the broader work and suggested activities for the Group at that meeting.

 

 

7.    Summary of Action

 

It was agreed that Policy Group meetings should be organised to take place in London and in Liverpool (as part of the digital policy event). The London event might be the Channel Four/PSM event but it was agreed that organising a suitable meeting of the Policy group soon was desirable and that this should be discussed via the Policy Group network online.

 

 

Action:

1.1.Simeon to work on proposal to send to Jeanette as Chair of the Policy Group

1.2. Jonathan to complete minutes and send to Jeanette and MeCCSA Executive

1.3. Confirmed minutes to be circulated to Policy Group members online with invitations to comment and help develop the programme of activities for 2016

 

 

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