The Media Reform Coalition has just published a new report on media ownership in the UK, following up on its widely distributed findings from 2015. 

This new report shows that just three companies (News UK, Daily Mail and General Trust [DMGT] and Reach) dominate 83% of the national newspaper market (up from 71% in 2015). When online readers are included, just five companies (News UK, DMGT, Reach, Guardian and Telegraph) dominate nearly 80% of the market, slightly up from our last report. In the area of local news, just five companies (Gannett, Johnston Press, Trinity Mirror, Tindle and Archant) account for 80% of titles (back in 2015, six companies had the same share). Two companies have 46% of all commercial local analogue radio stations and two-thirds of all commercial digital stations.

The digital landscape is hardly less concentrated. Google dominates search while popular apps like Instagram and WhatsApp are owned by Facebook, itself the most popular social media site. New, digital-only news sites have emerged as a significant force since our last report but these are overshadowed by the continuing grip of legacy news and, especially, national newspaper titles.

The BBC remains a powerful presence in online and broadcasting but its budget has been massively cut by the last two licence fee deals and its room for manoeuvre has been limited by commercial competition and political pressure to be mindful of its impact on the wider commercial market.

The report will be launched at the annual Media Democracy Festival, organised by the Media Reform Coalition with the Media Fund that takes place this Saturday, 16 March.

The full report is available here

The executive summary is available here

Data files (on local & national press, digital intermediaries, TV, radio, etc) which may of be use to you in teaching and research are also available via the Goldsmiths Leverhulme Media Research Centre here.

(Un)Happy reading.

Des