UK broadcast news is subject to strict rules on impartiality and the representation of views on any programming dealing with controversial or political matters. Newspapers are free to be partisan but usually provide at least some space for opposing voices or views.
Different news organisations in the UK offer different avenues of participation for audiences. Many comments sections have been scaled back or removed due to difficulties in moderating abuse.
The UK print and online news media are subject to self-regulation. Broadcast regulation is managed by a statutory corporation that is not directly controlled by the state, though its guidelines are underpinned by statute.
UK news media are variously covered by five separate codes of ethics that apply nationwide. Broadcast news provision is underpinned by legislation.
The UK has no public media monitor, though piecemeal monitoring is conducted by NGOs and academic units, some self-monitoring mechanisms are operated by broadcasters and there are some transparency obligations on regulated media that comprise informal monitoring instruments.
News in the UK (across all platforms) is generally affordable compared to average household income. Online output by several national and most regional outlets is free to access online.
The BBC devotes significant funding to minority-language news in Scotland and Wales, and the BBC Asian Network is also aimed at minority audiences. Commercial minority media covering many language groups and communities are licenced by Ofcom and several are available in print and online.
The UK news landscape is characterized by a wide range of news formats across all platforms.
The UK local press has become more concentrated over the past 20 years but a significant ‘long tail’ of smaller publishers still exists. Broadcast news, as at the national level, is dominated by the BBC and Sky News though the local radio and hyperlocal sector has a wide variety of providers.
Ownership concentration in the newspaper industry has increased in recent years, and commercial radio is dominated by a small number of companies. The BBC, while publicly-owned, is dominant in broadcasting overall, and broadcast news provision is almost entirely provided by the BBC, ITN and Sky News.
The Media for Democracy Monitor (MDM) is a research project from The Euromedia Research Group. This is a network of researchers that collects and exchanges information that help to describe and analyse developments in media structure and policy in Europe.
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