Ofcom calls for BBC to take on ‘independent’ expertise as part of editorial review May 24, 2021 Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has tonight written to the BBC urging it to take on independent advice from broadcasting experts as part of its review of its editorial policies and governance following the Martin Bashir scandal. The broadcaster today announced that it would carry out the review to make sure the scandal could “never happen again”. [...]
BBC ‘covered up’ failings over Martin Bashir’s bombshell Diana interview May 20, 2021 The BBC has been blasted over its handling of a 1995 interview of Diana after reporter Martin Bashir used “deceit” to gain access to the Princess of Wales. A damning report into the incident, published today, concluded that the broadcaster had covered up the tactics used by the journalist to secure the interview. It said [...]
On the Brightside May 17, 2021 As COO at Brightside, Rachel Pigott CA helps young people access education and career mentoring. She tells Ryan Herman why the pandemic has made the charity’s work more important than ever. This article first appeared in ICAS’ CA magazine. Pre-pandemic, if you came from a professional family, you were more than twice as likely to [...]
BT results: Will the telecoms giant ring the changes after Covid? May 12, 2021 The City will turn its attention to BT tomorrow morning, when the blue-chip telecoms giant will announce its results for the full year. The former state monopoly has seen its share price recover in the last year, but it’s been a tough year as the pandemic took its toll on revenue and profit. Here’s what [...]
Social media giants could face heavy fines for failing to protect users under new draft legislation May 12, 2021 Ofcom will be given the power to fine companies up to £18m or 10 per cent of annual global turnover for failing to comply with rules published today in a new draft online safety bill. The government has published a new draft bill that will see more stringent rules put in place around social [...]
Queen’s speech: Anger over social media safety laws as online scams excluded May 11, 2021 Campaigners have hit out at the government’s decision not to include scams in new legislation aimed at stamping out online harms. Plans to hold tech firms liable for harmful material posted to their platforms moved forward today after the Online Safety Bill was confirmed in the Queen’s Speech. The draft laws will force companies such [...]
The value of maths adds up to Queen’s Award success for Smith Institute May 7, 2021 In an interview shortly after the American economist, Paul Milgrom won the 2020 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction formats, he said: “People had no clue of how… to even approach it, and so we put together a practical design which has subsequently been used round the [...]
Screenshot: Is Trump’s Facebook ban too hot to handle? May 7, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Brits love bent coppers **Is Trump’s Facebook ban too hot to handle? **ITV’s Summer of Love (Island) Media Moment of the Week: Brits love bent coppers Ok, so you might not have been the biggest fan of the Line of Duty season finale on Sunday. In fact, you [...]
Ofcom rebuffs BBC Sounds competition concerns in blow to Murdoch May 4, 2021 Ofcom has rejected calls to probe competition concerns over the BBC’s move into on-demand audio in a blow to Rupert Murdoch’s rival media empire. The media watchdog last year launched a review into BBC Sounds, the streaming platform hosting online radio and podcasts from the public service broadcaster, amid concerns about its impact on the [...]
Covid connections: Pandemic narrows digital divide as more Brits go online April 28, 2021 While it may be hard to find silver linings in lockdown, it appears the rapid shift to online services has had its benefits. A surge in demand for internet services over the last year means the UK’s digital divide has narrowed even further, with more and more Brits getting connected. The proportion of homes without [...]