Media plurality

Ofcom has today published its annual report on the BBC, which assesses the Corporation’s performance in meeting the needs of viewers and listeners over the period April 2023 to March 2024. This includes findings following a mystery shopping exercise into the BBC First complaints process.

We are looking at the state of local media in the UK, including how well it meets audiences' changing needs and expectations in an increasingly online world.

The media ownership rules were put in place by Parliament to protect the public interest by promoting plurality for television, radio, and newspapers. In the interest of democracy, these rules aim to protect the plurality of viewpoints, give citizens access to a variety of sources of news, information and opinion and preventing undue influence by any one, or certain types of, media owner.

Online intermediaries, such as social media, search engines and other online aggregators exert a significant influence on the news stories people consume, according to new Ofcom research.

This research examines how online intermediaries, especially social media, can influence today's news landscape.

Ofcom has today set out details on the range of evidence it will gather to inform its review of local media in the UK.

Ofcom has today published an invitation to comment on the public interest test concerning the potential merger situation in relation to Telegraph Media Group.

Our programme of work on the future of media plurality in the UK, and the role of online intermediaries in the news ecosystem.

US tech firms increasingly shape the news stories that people in the UK see and read, Ofcom has found, leading to risks around transparency and choice in news.