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Bristol’s Green MEP, Molly Scott Cato, used World Press Freedom Day to highlight the dangers posed by the concentration of the UKs press and media into fewer and few hands and has echoed calls for Britain’s media regulator, Ofcom, to block Rupert Murdoch’s takeover of Sky.
“Britain has one of the most concentrated media environments in the world, with just three companies in control of 71% of national newspaper circulation. Investigative journalism plays a key role in holding those in power to account, but when it is the powerful who have control over the press and media, democracy is threatened.
“Rupert Murdoch already has huge political and economic power which is distorting the media landscape. The last thing we need is for him to further entrench his position and increase his influence.
“World Press Freedom Day is a day to reaffirm our commitment to do all we can to protect and support independent minded journalists and the organisations, campaigns and media outlets that are fighting to protect freedom of expression. We must stand up for freedom of expression and support demands for reform, including clear ownership thresholds and safeguards to ensure journalistic and editorial autonomy.”
Speaking in a video made by the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament to mark World Press Freedom Day [3], Dr Scott Cato says:
“Freedom of information laws ensure that politicians like me and public bodies are accountable but we need to extend them to private organisations as well”.