APPENDIX 18
Memorandum submitted by the Cultural Diversity
Advisory Group to the Media
MEDIA OWNERSHIP RULES
The declared Government policy, further outlined
in your above consultation paper on the creation of plurality
and diversity, falls greatly in line with the aims and objects
of our group. We have for many years voiced our feelings, regrettably
to no avail, that the fast growing parallel cultures as well as
double standards, largely promoted by the media, is not compatible
with a democratic multicultural society.
We hereby reiterate our views on the broad principles
of your proposals as follows:
Firstly we applaud and support Her Majesty's
Government's wish to legislate, regulate and monitor the communication
industry. Raising public awareness and expectation ought to be
a media requirement. Lack of clarity for the ordinary lay person,
in our view, unwittingly creates suspicions of autocracy. The
past record of numerous broken promises has, quite understandably,
created distrust for that "trade". There is a massive
task of restoration. We believe that your proposals might assist.
Cultural Diversity in media portrayal, has so
far received neither genuine government focus nor the attention
of the powerful public or private media. We acknowledge, progress
has been made in some areas; it has not been enough, though, on
the whole, it has not proceeded beyond action plans, policies
or the ever-fashionable rhetoric. In some areas of the media it
has not even begun and managers lack courage, competence or confidence
to proceed, within their racist institutions. We believe the Ownership
Rules will render statutory support to both enlightened Managers
and Owners to move matters forward.
Consequently, minority communities, now assisted
by digitalisation, have had to develop their own parallel communication
media. There is popular, overwhelming and intensive demand from
many quarters of the community that they must be allowed to forge
ahead. This is quite contrary to our groups aim of an inclusive
media industry for all. We recognise that in the medium term,
minority media, on television, radio or print must satisfy this
need. Until the mainstream media get its act together, this delivery
must continue. We believe that each day the BBC, ITV and others
fail to cater to the needs of plurality and diversity in its programming,
communities are ghettoised even further. Some strongly resent
paying a licence fee to a BBC to which they have no access and
from which they are marginalised. This continuing failure makes
the work of our group doubly difficult, if not impossible.
Minorities have drifted away from the British
newspapers or media in general for some considerable time. They
do not see much in it that attracts them. When they observe that
the birth of an ordinary white piglet on a farm (lovely as it
is), is given greater priority in coverage to a large minority
community activity on the same day, which may also interest the
wider community, they despair. The disproportionality of reporting
the recent 11 September USA events (tragic as they were), against
far greater human tragedies elsewhere, leads one to believe that
the media relate one white death to 5,000 blacks before even referring
to it. The Communications White Paper offered little positive
direction to lure them back to play an active role within an all-inclusive
media. Currently, they perceive that their inclusion is illusory.
We believe that the proposed ownership rules, regulating the quality
and diversity of programming and news content, provided it is
properly policed by a multiracial OFCOM, offers some support to
those of us who believe in a diverse and plural portrayal. We
believe those local newspapers or indeed radio and TV ought to
be under local control and not part of a huge and powerful conglomerate
with its own agenda, unrelated to domestic issues.
The proposal to hold all broadcasters accountable
to provide training for their existing staff and to meet the challenge
of a new culturally diverse Britain seems vital. Currently, encouragement
for staff to go out and build links with isolated and segregated
communities is patchy or a mere box ticking exercise. Self-regulation,
in an atmosphere of gentility, in our experience has regrettably
but abysmally failed. Hence, we hope that tighter control, through
the above proposal will take the matter further forward. We believe
that Licences for those sectors of news providers and related
organisations must be reviewed and revoked on the basis of non-compliance.
There does not appear to be a defined requirement
on broadcasters to broaden their workforce to include minority
communities at all levels within a reasonable time frame. In this
context, retention and meritorious promotion is of far greater
importance than recruitment. We hear of a perception of being
unwelcome in an exclusively White environment, not conducive to
self-respect and retention of those painfully recruited. The proposed
rules ought to specifically require multiracial OFCOM to monitor
this process effectively and with greater transparency. The present
system of relying on the old gatekeepers has proved to be largely
unsatisfactory and lacks creditability. We believe that the Ownership
Rules must firmly address this issue
There appears to be no commitment that OFCOM
and its advisory panels will reflect the plurality of our communities.
Neither the White Paper nor the above proposals appear to address
this issue, either explicitly or implicitly. With no indication
that plurality will be encouraged, we must conclude that it will
be suffocated as at present
We hope our above contribution is useful. However,
we would be happy to present further oral evidence and examples,
if invited to do so. We authorise this response to remain in the
public domain and widely circulated.
7 January 2002
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