Freedom as the web gets wilder

Abstract

New media is changing the role of news and this is presenting enormous regulation problems, argues the Broadcast magazine columnist, and he writes: “Channel 4 is being policed by a regulator [Ofcom] which has thought long and hard about the future of public service content and appears to have concluded that what is needed is a new entity, called a Public Service Publisher (PSP), which will be used to channel public funds into new media provision of public service content.” Some people believe the PSP will be be able to do for new media what Channel 4 has traditionally done for television, claims Reevell, who continues: “If so, and if Ofcom is able to champion the PSP into existence, then it could have a significant impact on journalism in the UK…there is an accelerating drift away from news consumption, both broadcast or printed…many consumers now get their news from other sources, notably online…and are also changing the way they absorb news…getting specific information that interests them as consumers rather than following news more widely as citizens. How far does this matter for a healthy civic society?”