The Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom was a
UK pressure group, based in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
.
History
Originally founded in 1979 as the 'Campaign for Press Freedom' by the London Workers' Control Committee (on the instigation of that body's Secretary, the journalist John Jennings), the organisation was established to campaign for a more democratic and accountable press following the perceived malign influence of an overwhelmingly Tory supporting newspaper industry in the General Election of that year. The CPF later added broadcasting to its remit and campaigned for a more
democratic media, which was both accountable and more
pluralistic than at present.
The Campaign's first initiative was to launch a right of reply campaign, supported by its strong media union base. The right of reply to anti-union and racist attitudes was secured through industrial action in several newspapers including the Daily Mail, Daily Express, Sun and Observer, while the News of the World astutely published a bland space rather than permit a reply.
Its campaigns promoted media freedom,
public service broadcasting
Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive ...
, and greater equality of representation in public media. In 2008, for example, it protested about television programmes which had been funded to promote UK government policies.
In 2018, a CBPF
annual general meeting
An annual general meeting (AGM, also known as the annual meeting) is a meeting of the general membership of an organization.
These organizations include membership associations and companies with shareholders.
These meetings may be required ...
agreed a motion to close the organisation.
Journal
The CPBF published the first edition of its journal ''Free Press''
in February 1980. The final edition (#216) was published in Autumn 2018.
References
External links
CPBF websiteMedia Reform Coalition UK
- similar currently active organisation
Better Media
- list of similar organisations
1979 establishments in England
Political organisations based in the United Kingdom
2018 disestablishments in England
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