A report examined the loss to the economy, as well as the negative cultural effects, of cuts in BBC programming investment.
Source: The BBC?s Delivering Quality First Proposals: An Assessment of the Economic and Social Impact, and the Potential for Revisiting the Licence Fee Settlement, Landman Economics
Links: Report | BECTU press release
Date: 2011-Dec
An article compared the increasing use of photography and other media arts within social research with participatory approaches to socially engaged documentary and art-based photographic practice.
Source: Andrew Robinson, 'Giving voice and taking pictures: participatory documentary and visual research', People, Place & Policy, Volume 5 Issue 3
Links: Article
Date: 2011-Dec
A new book examined how policy and political decisions were shaped by the popular media. It considered the way in which the right-wing tabloid press influenced social policy using their ability to fan fears and prejudices.
Source: Malcolm Dean, Democracy Under Attack: How the media distort policy and politics, Policy Press
Links: Summary | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Nov
An article examined trends in newspaper coverage of mental illness. There had been a significant proportional reduction in negative articles about mental illness between 1992 and 2008, and a significant increase in articles explaining psychiatric disorders. Coverage improved for depression but remained largely negative for schizophrenia.
Source: Robert Goulden, Elizabeth Corker, Sara Evans-Lacko, Diana Rose, Graham Thornicroft, and Claire Henderson, ' Newspaper coverage of mental illness in the UK, 1992-2008', BMC Public Health, Volume 11
Date: 2011-Oct
A report said that there had been a significant increase in the amount of negative reporting of disability issues in the print media between 2004-05 and 2010-11.
Source: Emma Briant, Nick Watson, and Greg Philo, Bad News for Disabled People: How the newspapers are reporting disability, Strathclyde Centre for Disability Research (University of Glasgow)/Glasgow Media Unit
Links: Report | Inclusion London press release | Glasgow University press release | United Response press release
Date: 2011-Oct
A study explored how alcohol was represented in media consumed by young people, young people's own interpretations of these representations, and the influence of the media and celebrities on young people's attitudes to alcohol and their alcohol consumption. It also examined the views of media professionals on the production of alcohol-related content, the potential influence of the media on young consumers, and the role of the media in health promotion.
Source: Amanda Atkinson, Gill Elliott, Mark Bellis, and Harry Sumnall, Young People, Alcohol and the Media, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Date: 2011-Sep
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport published its annual report for 2010-11.
Source: Annual Report and Accounts 2010-11, HC 1002, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, TSO
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jul
The report was published of an independent (government-commissioned) review of the 'commercialization and sexualization' of childhood. It recommended a series of measures designed to strengthen limits on children's ability to access pornography and sexualized images through a range of media, including television, the internet, and mobile phones.
Source: Reg Bailey, Letting Children Be Children: Report of an independent review of the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood, Cm 8078, Department for Education, TSO
Links: Report | Hansard | DE press release | Downing Street letter | Brook/FPA press release | CARE press release | Childrens Commissioner press release | IPA press release | Mothers Union press release | SPUC press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2011-Jun
A report by a committee of peers said that there were several areas where the system of governance and regulation of the BBC could be improved. The system for complaining about BBC content was too complicated.
Source: The Governance and Regulation of the BBC, 2nd Report (Session 2010-12), HL 166, House of Lords Communications Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Jun
A new book examined how the 'news' agenda for crime and punishment was constructed.
Source: David Wilson, Looking for Laura: Public criminology and hot news, Waterside Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2011-May
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport published a revised business plan, covering the period 2011-2015.
Source: Business Plan 2011-2015, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Date: 2011-May
A paper said that recent shifts in the media advertising market had had, and would continue to have, profound and largely adverse consequences for established public media – whether publicly or privately owned.
Source: Richard Collins, The End of Public Media? The UK: canary in the coal mine?, Working Paper 89, Centre for Research on Socio-Cultural Change (University of Manchester)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Apr
A new book examined the phenomenon of 'Islamophobia' and the treatment of Muslims by the media. Media hostility alienated Muslims and undermined efforts to combat extremism.
Source: Julian Petley and Robin Richardson, Pointing the Finger: Islam and Muslims in the British media, Oneworld Publications
Links: Summary | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Apr
An article examined the relationship between the media and the government on drugs issues. Science was 'trumped' by fears stoked by the media.
Source: Jon Silverman, 'Addicted to distortion: the media and UK drugs policy', Safer Communities, Volume 9 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jan
The government began consultation on proposals to create a new network channel to support local television services.
Source: Local Media Action Plan, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Links: Consultation document | DCMS press release | Speech | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Jan
A report by a committee of MPs said that there was little hard evidence to support the view of the commercial newspaper industry that local council publications were, to any significant extent, competing unfairly with independent newspapers. Nor was it persuaded that a code of practice on local authority publicity was the correct tool by which to apply constraints upon the hiring of 'lobbyists' by local councils.
Source: Proposed Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity, First Report (Session 2010-11), HC 666, House of Commons Communities and Local Government Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | London Councils press release | BBC report
Date: 2011-Jan