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MEDIUM-TERM MEASURES •


Establishment government- funded Journalism Foundation – as recommended in the UK’s Cairncross Review – to invest in local news and innovative national public interest journalistic projects, with particular encouragement for new models and start- ups across all platforms


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Confer “asset of community value” status on local newspapers – like community pubs – ensuring that titles cannot be closed overnight without proper scrutiny; enabling newspapers to be taken over locally, based and located in the communities they serve and accessible to the public. Also allow the establishment of charitable status to


media outlets that want it


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Tax breaks, rate relief and other financial support for local social enterprises and journalistic cooperatives taking over titles from major regional operators, running them as not- for-profit enterprises, with particular regard to areas at risk of becoming news deserts, with no newspapers operating at all, and specific support for the reporting of local government maters


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Employee representation on executive boards in receipt of public funding, from non- management roles, for minimum of 25 per cent of seats


a strengthened public interest test


Independent sustainable funding of public service broadcasting that protects its universality and prevents government interference, and an end to salami- slicing cuts that are compromising quality and diminishing breadth of content


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Rollout of nationwide media literacy initiatives as a lynch-pin in tackling disinformation and fake news, with stronger regulation that clamps down on tech companies that facilitate the dissemination of fake news, and seeks their co-operation in prioritising accurate journalistic content


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Reform of media ownership rules, with


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Training that opens up access to journalism, including apprentices for school-leavers


Protection for whistleblowers – vital at a time when health workers are being threatened for speaking out on critical issues of public interest


Monitor potential impact of surveillance technologies being considered in response to Covid-19 challenge and easing of lockdowns – guarding against consequential impact on journalistic surveillance and targeting of whistleblowers


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Support global framework to protect and promote journalism and improve press freedom


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