Decentered Media

Women, Community Media, and the Work of Holding Communities Together in Times of Conflict How do women working in community media respond when their communities face tension or conflict? What does it mean to tell local stories from within the community rather than from a distance? And how can everyday communication through radio, local journalism, and storytelling help rebuild trust between neighbours when misinformation and misunderstanding threaten to divide them? These were the questions explored in a discussion recorded for International Women’s Day, bringing together women who are actively involved in community media and local communication projects. Sumaila Jafri opened the discussion by reflecting on her own background as a journalist who had previously worked in national and international newsrooms.

How do women in community media respond when tensions affect local communities? This discussion reflects on the 2022 unrest in Leicester and asks whether storytelling, radio, and local journalism can help rebuild trust & encourage dialogue across communities

The BBC Charter Renewal Should Renew Public Purpose Media, Not Just the BBC The current BBC Charter Review should not be treated as a narrow exercise in institutional maintenance. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport opened the present consultation on 16 December 2025, it closes on 10 March 2026, and it is intended to inform a new Charter from 1 January 2028, when the current Charter period ends on 31 December 2027. That timetable matters because it offers a rare chance to ask a bigger question than the one now being posed most often.

Should support for the BBC also strengthen the wider not-for-private-profit media sector? As Charter Renewal is debated, should independent, civic and community media be recognised as equal partners in a public purpose media ecology rather than remaining outside the system?

BBC Charter Renewal and the Liberal Questions We Are Not Asking The debate about BBC Charter Renewal is already becoming familiar. The BBC says it needs stronger constitutional protection, a more secure funding settlement, lighter regulation, and a renewed public mandate so that it can continue to act as a universal public service institution. Those arguments are serious and deserve to be taken seriously. But there is another side to this discussion that is receiving far less attention.

Are we asking the right questions about BBC Charter Renewal? If media is now diverse and abundant, does one universal institution still need exceptional privileges? Could reinforcing the old model risk solving yesterday’s problem rather than tomorrow’s?

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The BBC Charter Renewal Needs Wider Public Voices The BBC’s Charter renewal is not a technical exercise. It is a decision about what the BBC is for, who it serves, and how it should be held accountable for the next decade. That matters because the BBC is not just another media brand. It is a publicly funded institution that helps shape how people understand public life, cultural identity, and the shared facts that make democratic debate possible.

BBC Charter renewal must not be an insiders’ agreement. It should ask what the public needs, how the BBC proves it is meeting those needs, and who holds it to account. The voices not in the room matter most if trust and legitimacy are to be rebuilt.

Nottingham hasn’t listed. What’s happened with the others?

Rebalancing The Airwaves – Reflections From The Better Media Consultation The recent Better Media online consultation sessions brought together practitioners, advocates and policy observers to reflect on two live processes shaping the future of UK radio: Ofcom’s licensing review and the DCMS Radio Review. The purpose was not simply to respond to technical questions, but to examine what kind of broadcast ecology the UK intends to sustain over the next twenty years.

What would a genuinely plural radio system look like in 2036? Can we diversify supply, apply a meaningful localism test, and treat broadcast as civic infrastructure rather than a legacy market? How should DCMS and Ofcom respond to consolidation and gatekeeping?

Not that I recall... Community Television didn't gain traction

Local Trust, Public Accountability and The Limits of Regional Broadcasting Robert Thompson, Interim Director of BBC Local has published a blog arguing that, in a divided world, local news brings communities together. That is an admirable aspiration. However, in Leicester during the communal tensions of 2022, the BBC was widely perceived as absent, reactive, and structurally distant from the realities unfolding on the streets. The SOAS report published this week…

If local media brings communities together, why did Leicester face 2022’s tensions without trusted, accountable local coverage? Should the BBC address its blind spots before Charter Renewal, and make space for genuinely local civic dialogue to rebuild trust?

Four UK reviews will shape radio’s future: licensing, regulation, distribution and the BBC Charter. Will they widen routes to market or entrench consolidation? Join our focused online session to identify practical reforms that support diversified, local supply

Radio Policy, Plurality and the Future of Independent Media

What kind of media ecology do we want by 2035?
Greater consolidation, or a socially grounded system?

Join a moderated online consultation for independent, local and community media voices.

Thursday 26 February 2026
2:00pm or 6:00pm

‘Tackling Communalism in Leicester in a Transnational World’ – What’s the Role for Independent and Community Media? The Better Together report confronts Leicester with difficult questions about social fragmentation, polarisation and the erosion of common ground. It describes how divisions centred on religion, national affiliation and identity were able to harden, while a shared civic purpose weakened. It asks how communalism can be addressed in a transnational world shaped by digital amplification and internationalised misinformation. For those working in local, independent and community media, this is not an abstract policy question.

Has local media in Leicester strengthened social integration, or mirrored social fragmentation? Join us on Wednesday 18 March at 6pm to reflect on the Better Together report and shape how trusted civic media can rebuild common ground in a polarised, transnational information landscape

‘Tackling Communalism in Leicester in a Transnational World’ – What’s the Role for Independent and Community Media? The Better Together report confronts Leicester with difficult questions about social fragmentation, polarisation and the erosion of common ground. It describes how divisions centred on religion, national affiliation and identity were able to harden, while a shared civic purpose weakened. It asks how communalism can be addressed in a transnational world shaped by digital amplification and internationalised misinformation. For those working in local, independent and community media, this is not an abstract policy question.

Has local media in Leicester strengthened social integration, or mirrored social fragmentation? Join us on Wednesday 18 March at 6pm to reflect on the Better Together report and shape how trusted civic media can rebuild common ground in a polarised, transnational information landscape

Epistemic Security and the Future of the BBC: Rethinking Public Service Media at Charter Renewal The latest episode of the Decentered Media Podcast brings together Rob Watson and Sameer Padania for a detailed discussion about the future of the BBC and the wider conditions that shape public service media in the United Kingdom. The conversation is framed around Charter renewal, but it moves well beyond the mechanics of governance to ask a deeper question: what kind of information environment do we want to sustain, and who is responsible for protecting it?

What does “epistemic security” mean for the future of the BBC? In our latest podcast, we explore Charter renewal, governance reform and whether public service media can still anchor democratic trust in a fragmented, platform-driven information environment

Radio Policy, Plurality and the Future of Independent Media

What kind of media ecology do we want by 2035?
Greater consolidation, or a socially grounded system?

Join a moderated online consultation for independent, local and community media voices.

Thursday 26 February 2026
2:00pm or 6:00pm

Spotlight Recording for UNESCO International Mother Language Day Saturday 21st February – Soar Sound On Saturday 21 February 2026, Soar Sound, the Evington Echo and Parallel Lives Network will host a live podcast recording session to mark UNESCO International M

How does your mother language shape who you are? Join Soar Sound on Saturday 21 February, 10am–2pm at Bishop Street Chapel Café, Leicester, for a live podcast recording for UNESCO International Mother Language Day. Would you like to share your story? www.soarsound.uk/spotlight-re...

Civic Futures Forum – Radio Policy, Plurality and the Future of Independent Media The UK is entering a significant period of review for broadcast radio policy. Ofcom is consulting on its future approach to broadcast licensing. DCMS has launched a wider Radio Review that will shape long-term distribution strategy, market structure and public policy into the 2030s and beyond. These processes raise fundamental questions about spectrum management, platform access, economic sustainability, content supply, and the balance between producer interests and the interests of citizens.

How should Ofcom’s licensing plans and the DCMS Radio Review shape the future of independent and local media? Join our Civic Futures Forum on 26 February 2026 at 2pm or 6pm. One session per person. Your perspective can inform the national debate.

Civic Futures Forum – Radio Policy, Plurality and the Future of Independent Media The UK is entering a significant period of review for broadcast radio policy. Ofcom is consulting on its future approach to broadcast licensing. DCMS has launched a wider Radio Review that will shape long-term distribution strategy, market structure and public policy into the 2030s and beyond. These processes raise fundamental questions about spectrum management, platform access, economic sustainability, content supply, and the balance between producer interests and the interests of citizens.

How should Ofcom’s licensing plans and the DCMS Radio Review shape the future of independent and local media? Join our Civic Futures Forum on 26 February 2026 at 2pm or 6pm. One session per person. Your perspective can inform the national debate.

A Welcome Review of Radio – Now Broaden the Conversation The Government’s announcement that it will review the future of radio is timely and necessary. Radio remains one of the most trusted and widely used media in the United Kingdom, yet its policy framework has evolved in incremental steps rather than through a comprehensive reassessment of purpose, structure and long-term public value. A review offers the opportunity to step back and ask fundamental questions about plurality, sustainability and the direction of travel for broadcast audio.

The review of UK radio is welcome. Will it include community and place-based providers, not just established industry bodies? How can policy encourage diversification of supply and decentralised growth in the audio market, rather than further consolidation?

Beyond Protectionism – What the Bolton–Riley Conversation Reveals About the Future of Radio The recent conversation between Roger Bolton and Phil Riley on Beeb Watch was a welcome and timely contribution to a debate that has been oddly muted given the scale of change facing UK radio and public service media more broadly. It was thoughtful, well-paced, and grounded in real experience, particularly in its exploration of radio’s resilience, the tensions between the BBC and commercial providers, and the uncertain policy landscape emerging ahead of Charter Renewal.

What should media policy really aim to protect: existing providers, or a growing and diverse media economy? A thoughtful discussion on radio, local provision, SSDAB limits and why BBC Charter Renewal needs far wider, more open debate than it’s had so far.

What does radio still make possible in Leicester today? Join a World Radio Day meet-up at 9am on 13 February to share perspectives on local, UK, and international radio, and to reflect on why voices, listening, and conversation still matter decentered.co.uk/leicester-co...

The BBC’s Portrayal and Representation Review – Why the “Model” Matters as Much as the Metrics The BBC’s independent thematic review of portrayal and representation is not simply a debate about fairness in casting, or whether particular audiences feel “seen”. It is an attempt to formalise an explanatory model of identity and belonging, and then use that model to reshape commissioning, editorial practice, and digital distribution. That matters for policy advocates because, once institutionalised, a model becomes a governance instrument.

If the BBC says audiences want “normalisation” in portrayal and representation, who decides what counts as “normal”, and on what evidence? Should this be an editorial strategy set by managers, or a public question debated openly as part of charter renewal?

Shifting Accountability – Our BBC as Civic Infrastructure From the standpoint of an advocate for a decentralised civic society model rooted in independent, federated organisations, the new Demos report Our BBC (Padania et al., 2026) has clear strengths, but also notable structural limits. Its analysis of the BBC as critical democratic and epistemic infrastructure is broadly compatible with civic-society thinking, particularly its concern with trust, legitimacy, and resilience in the information environment.

Who is missing from the BBC reform debate? Where are the voices from health, care, education, social cohesion, protection from harm, culture, and civic innovation? Can public service media be renewed without those shaping everyday social life?

From Price Controls To Media Controls – What Does The BBC Charter Renewal Really Protect? In much of Eastern Europe during the 1970s and 1980s, governments attempted to make daily life affordable by setting prices for essentials. The stated intention was straightforward: protect households from volatility, maintain stability, and keep basic goods within reach. The lived experience was often different. Where prices could not move to reflect scarcity, scarcity did not disappear. It moved into queues, rationing, informal networks, and a steady growth in administrative discretion about who got what, when, and on what terms.

As the BBC Charter is renewed, should the licence fee remain a compulsory charge, or should the BBC compete like other providers, with Ofcom focused on preventing monopoly and ensuring real choice for audiences?

Common Ground, Foundational Media, and the Future of Social Cohesion Social cohesion is often discussed as though it is something that happens after the “real” work of public services is done. Housing, health, education, policing, then perhaps a communications campaign to explain what is happening. The LGA’s Common Ground guidance makes a different claim. Produced by Belong, the cohesion and integration network, the Common Ground guidance treats cohesion as a practical condition of everyday life that has to be built and maintained, not assumed.

What would it mean to treat social cohesion as something we build through everyday local communication, not just public services and crisis response, and what role should place-based media play in trust, belonging, and shared understanding?

Frequently Asked Questions – BBC Charter Renewal and the Future of Public-Purpose Media Better Media and Decentered Media are collecting views about BBC Charter Renewal. Here are our Frequently Asked Questions. Complete the survey here: What is the BBC Charter Renewal, and why does it matter? The BBC Charter Renewal process sets the framework for how the BBC is governed, funded, regulated, and held to account for the next Charter period. Its implications extend beyond the BBC, shaping how public interest media is defined and supported across the UK media system.

Who should shape the future of public-purpose media? We’re gathering views on the BBC Charter Renewal to inform a shared response focused on accountability, trust, and civic value. How should public engagement influence decisions about media that serves us all?

Complete our survey and help civic, independent and community media be heard in the Charter Renewal process forms.gle/URnPgckbYbFP...

BBC Charter Renewal Green Paper – Views Sought The Government has published a Green Paper setting out initial proposals for the renewal of the BBC’s Royal Charter. This is a significant moment for media policy in the UK. The Charter defines not only how the BBC is governed and funded, but how public interest media is understood, regulated, and held to account over the next decade. Decentered Media is seeking views on this Green Paper because the consultation raises questions that extend beyond the BBC as a single institution.

The BBC Charter Renewal will shape public interest media for the next decade. We’re inviting considered views on the Green Paper to inform a collated response focused on accountability, public purpose, and trust. How should public engagement really work?

British Findings: DAB Cannot Replace FM for Community Radio SSDAB solution not a comprehensive substitute for analogue provision. There are 332 community radio stations in the UK mostly broadcasting o...

The 30 year old story about an outdated system still with us
digitalradioinsider.blogspot.com/2026/01/brit...

When Orthodoxies Fail – Rebuilding Trust in News Much of the public discussions about the decline of trust in mainstream news focuses on polarisation, misinformation, or changing audience behaviour. The recent Triggernometry podcast conversation with Richard Minter, however, approaches the issue from a different angle. It frames the loss of trust not as a temporary reputational problem, but as a structural failure in the relationship between news institutions and the publics they claim to serve.

If trust in news depends on accountability, not authority, what happens when journalism starts to feel like institutional messaging rather than inquiry? Can locally rooted, independent media rebuild trust from the bottom up rather than imposing it from the top?