Campaign to curb billionaire influence over UK media reaches key milestone

Nation.Cymru staff

A parliamentary petition calling for sweeping reforms to media ownership laws has passed the 10,000-signature threshold, forcing the UK Government to formally respond to demands to curb the influence of billionaire-owned media organisations.

The petition, backed by the Media Sovereignty Act campaign, argues that democracy is being distorted by the concentration of media ownership in the hands of a small number of wealthy individuals and corporations.

Campaigners are calling on ministers to introduce a new “Media Sovereignty Act” which would ban foreign ownership of UK national media outlets, limit the concentration of ownership, impose a levy on social media giants to support independent journalism, and require think-tanks featured in the media to disclose donations in real time.

Under parliamentary rules, petitions which reach 10,000 signatures require a formal government response, while those passing 100,000 signatures may be considered for debate in Parliament.

The campaign has emerged amid growing concern over the concentration of media ownership in Britain and the declining financial position of local and independent journalism.

According to figures cited by the campaign, just three companies – DMG Media, News UK and Reach – control around 90% of UK national newspaper circulation.

Campaigners say the proposals are designed to “reclaim” the media from what they describe as domination by billionaire interests.

The draft legislation states: “A sovereign media is essential for a free people and a fair, thriving democracy in the United Kingdom.”

Among the proposals are restrictions preventing any single organisation from owning more than one national newspaper or commercial national broadcaster, and a cap preventing any individual or family from owning more than 20% of a major national media organisation.

The campaign would also establish a “Media Sovereignty Levy” on large international social media firms operating in the UK, with proceeds used to support local and independent news outlets.

Another proposal would require think-tanks and public policy organisations to publish live records of donors if they wished to receive media coverage from national broadcasters or newspapers.

Test. 

Campaign director Donnachadh McCarthy said support for the proposals should become a defining issue for future Labour leadership contenders.

He said: “It is now a key test for any potential Labour leadership candidate claiming to be committed to the transformative changes the country needs, on whether they back the radical media ownership reform enshrined in the Media Sovereignty Act.”

Co-director Caspar Hughes described media reform as “the most urgent political issue of our time”.

The campaign directly challenges the influence of powerful media owners including Rupert Murdoch’s News UK empire and Lord Rothermere’s DMG Media group, which owns the Daily Mail titles and the i newspaper.

A spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said the UK already has “an independent, self-regulatory system for the press” and stressed the importance of press freedom alongside professional and ethical standards.

The Government has confirmed it will respond to the petition “in due course”.