for diverse, democratic and accountable media
Labour to fight for licence fee increase
The Labour Party will fight for the BBC to secure some form of increase in the licence fee during charter renewal, according to the shadow culture secretary writes Broadcast’s Hannah Gannage-Stewart. Speaking at an event at Westminster yesterday evening to mark Broadcast’s Backing the BBC campaign, Chris Bryant backed the licence fee for another 10 years and said the BBC should get “a bit more money” otherwise it will “wither on the vine”. More at: http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/SPIN2.aspx?navCode=5534
Also read Neil Midgley why BBC journalism is under threat at: http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/features/bbc-journalism-is-under-threat/5089245.article?blocktitle=Top-Stories&contentID=2298
Fight for our BBC
The NUJ is holding an event in Parliament to launch the Fight for our BBC campaign with an alliance of organisations on Wednesday 10 June. Wednesday 10 June 2015 Committe Rooms 9 &10, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA 4.00-5.00pm Briefing for lobbyists, Committee Room 9, House of Commons.5.00-6.30pm Lobby of MPs and drop-in session for MPs and peers, Committee Room 9. 6.30pm Public meeting hosted by Broadcast Magazine, Committe Room 10.
Don't let it bounce back
In the Queen's Speech we learnt that the Government is going to introduce an Investigatory Powers Bill. It's a rebranded and upgraded Snoopers' Charter with more powers for the police and GCHQ to look at what we do and who we talk to.
The new attack on civil liberties: Whistleblowers speak out
Prominent US whistleblowers and campaigners including Daniel Ellsberg are gathering in London for a major ‘Stand Up for Truth’ rally next week on Monday 1st of June, followed by a press conference the next morning on 2nd June. It was whistleblowers like Edward Snowden and Thomas Drake, a former senior executive at the NSA, who first showed the world how the NSA in the US and GCHQ in the UK were cooperating to secretly spy on millions of their own citizens.