A new campaign is urging the British public to oppose government proposals that could give selected news organisations greater prominence on social media, warning that the measures risk pushing independent media further down users’ feeds.
NewsCord founder Nima Akram has launched the Say No to Media Censorship campaign in response to the government’s Green Paper on the future of British media.
“The government wants platforms to push state-approved news and bury the rest,” the campaign warns. It is encouraging members of the public to send formal responses to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) before its consultation closes on 31 August.
The campaign page allows users send a response to the consultation. NewsCord says the submissions are formal responses that DCMS must record.
The government published its Green Paper, Watch this space: a new strategic direction for UK media, in June. It proposes requiring social media companies and video-sharing platforms to make news from public service media, including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and other providers regarded as trustworthy, more prominent and easier to find.
