Another really good data column. FT doing really good work at the moment. Almost outweighs How to Spend It…

Rise of Reform's coverage in TV coverage through 2025 well illustrated in our new @cujournmedcul.bsky.social study 👇

Our new Cardiff University study featured today in @scotnational.bsky.social 👇

In our latest blog, we (@stephencushion.bsky.social, @mattwalshjourno.bsky.social, @maxwellmodell.bsky.social & myself) analyse how BBC News at Ten & ITV News at Ten cover opposition parties & their leaders. 🔗 tinyurl.com/5ypk7wv4 #impartialityproject #politicaljournalism #mediastandards

BBC coverage of Nigel Farage and Reform UK under scrutiny on latest Newswatch. From midnight Fri on link/Sat 745am on BBC1 Breakfast www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Our new study 🚨'Are broadcasters reflecting multi-party politics in the UK? An analysis of BBC News at Ten and ITV News at Ten in 2025' written up brilliantly by @rmcunliffe.bsky.social in The @newstatesman1913.bsky.social Thread with headlines: www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Exclusive: Reform overtook the Tories as the most referenced opposition party on both the BBC and ITV. “Reform UK was the dominant party in more than twice as many stories as the Conservatives and just under four times more stories than the Liberal Democrats." www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Nuanced and engaging write up of our latest impartiality study in @newstatesman1913.bsky.social by @rmcunliffe.bsky.social Empirical evidence of how broadcasters actually cover opposition parties and how successfully they reflect an emerging multi-party system. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

A good night for Channel 4 at the British Journalism awards - news provider and journalist of the year gongs secured pressgazette.co.uk/press-gazett...

'Vindication': Gaza film BBC refused to show wins British Journalism Award Ramita Navai told Press Gazette: "The whole process with the BBC was deeply disappointing and deeply upsetting" But she said Channel 4 stepping up was "journalism at its best" pressgazette.co.uk/press-gazett...

Great write up of our research tracking how the broadcasters have been covering the rise of Reform. Even if I seem to have lost my surname!

This was an extraordinary, spine-tingling moment, recognising fearless and crucial journalism. I don't think I've ever seen a standing ovation like that at a journalism awards do.

Let Starmer be Starmer www.thetimes.com/article/3f2e...

I hope they have a letter of marque

Gaza named deadliest place for journalists in 2025 @rsf.org report on dangers facing media globally www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...

Brighton bans The Guardian after it published reports about the owner. www.theguardian.com/football/202...

This is worth reading if you are at all interested in the future of the BBC and public service media. It's very accessibly written and informative.

New post: It's time for media predictions about the future. But why do 2026 when you can do 2050? What does the news look like in 25 years time? open.substack.com/pub/mattwals...

Shocked. Shocked, I tell you

At a lose end in Cardiff today from 5:30pm? This is on, it’s going to be great, it’ll blow your mind, and it’s free! 👇🔥✊

Interesting developments, and perhaps a glimpse at the way the 2029 election will be fought. Although if there's one thing we know about Labour's losses in the 2017 and 2019 elections, it's that they weren't short of excellent social media content. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

A most unexpected experience. An insurance policy has auto renewed without my noticing. And the premium has halved. Don’t think this has ever happened to anyone before

New Office of National Statistics figures show net migration dropped to just over 200,000 in the year ending June. While the government will point to this as progress on a key pledge, the wider picture is much more complex. 🔗 tinyurl.com/2yaxnmtk 🧵👇 #impartiality #impartialityproject #migration

New post on the BBC political editors - today's critique of the role and how John Cole invented the role. open.substack.com/pub/mattwals...

Absolutely terrific

Anyone who works in digital will have read that OBR report and seen that there were six (6) people employed across HR, IT, comms and website maintenance. There’s your problem, right there.

Not a fan of Xmas stuff too early, but BBC Radio 3’s coverage of the first Sunday of Advent has been terrific. Especially the choir from St Andrew’s.

Comcast's bid for ITV's broadcast business means it could find itself involved with two competing TV news operations - who will be the victor? open.substack.com/pub/mattwals...

I assume it's an overabundance of caution following legal advice because the programme is broadcast in the US. I would think the BBC's libel insurance would not cover a programme that left the line in against legal advice. With Trump threatening to sue for billions, that was a risk too far.

Times headline: ‘BBC failing to tackle systemic bias, says author of leaked memo’. In fact, when asked by MPs, this man, Michael Prescott, said he didn’t believe the BBC was institutionally biased. The Times failed to quote that, in an article about the issue of truthful reporting.

Bonkers. What on earth were they thinking?

A not very convincing day of evidence from the BBC board and its advisors to the media select committee mattwalsh.substack.com/p/crisis-wha...

Broadcast has some more details about Richard Sambrook's role on the review (paywall but you can register for a free article) www.broadcastnow.co.uk/bbc/bbc-laun...

He did while smoking a small cigar and listening to jazz

Pleased to hear that Cardiff University’s Professor Richard Sambrook has been appointed as an independent advisor to review the work of the BBC’s editorial guidelines and standards committee. The right man for the job.

I’d recommend more investment in external academic research by trusted partners

To what extent was he a suitable person for the role? A PR who’d not worked in news for 20 years and never worked in broadcasting

Can't see a shake-up of the standards committee being enough, but a deputy DG makes a lot of sense - and indeed has worked in the past. Still don't understand why two PR people are the external advisors on standards. www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

This is true. Look at all those ads that ask for dynamic, driven, dynamos, whirlwinds, ninjas and so on. They mean young. Agism is still a respectable form of discrimination

I’m guessing his password is Eloniscool

A fine night for Cardiff’s JOMEC at the BJTC journalism awards. Students came home with best TV News Report, Online Story, Social Short, and TV News Day. A clean sweep!

19th November and I’ve already been subjected to Stop the Cavalry. Beyond wrong.

Excellent and courageous investigative journalism. The fact that it is (apparently) legal to do this to people is utterly disgusting.

A new article by @stephencushion.bsky.social for @theconversation.com highlights while the BBC is no stranger to accusations of bias, the Prescott memo is far from the rigorous assessment many assumed it to be. 🔗 tinyurl.com/3cx8edjp 🧵👇 #journalism #journalismstudies #BBC #mediareporting

Important question: interesting answer. "What a decade of research reveals about why people don’t trust media in the digital age" (theconversation.com/what-a-decad...)

Good and apparently well sourced article on the mess the BBC got itself into observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

Nick Ross in The Times today upholds the golden rule that there is always someone who’s had well remunerated career at the BBC that’s ready to call for its abolition

I’ve just published a new article in the @uk.theconversation.com entitled 'BBC bias? The Prescott memo falls well short of the standards of impartiality it demands’ Thread 1/8: theconversation.com/bbc-bias-the...

Iain Banks spins in his grave again

Was the Panorama shown in Florida? If not, why would they have jurisdiction for a defamation claim?