for diverse, democratic and accountable media
A Justice Committee report published today supports the abolition of the main right to appeal against the Information Commissioner’s decisions under the Freedom of Information Act. This would“seriously undermine the FOI Act”says the Campaign for Freedom of Information.
The BBC management is making a decision next month which could be disastrous for UK news. The BBC News Channel has a weekly audience of 8 to 10 million, reaching more than a third of all households. But to cut costs, the BBC management is considering closing it and broadcasting the BBC World News TV in the UK instead. Or, closing both channels and creating a new one, with a foreign emphasis, which would air in Britain and globally.
Thank you to the 3000 of you who wrote to your MP over the weekend inresponseto Hillsborough families campaigner Margaret Aspinall’s request, asking them to supportthe cross-party amendment calling on the Government to begin a “Leveson 2" inquiry into the relationship between the press and the police.After your emails, a number ofMPs turned up to speak in favour of Leveson Part 2, in support ofAndy Burnham MP (who tabled the amendment).
We are writing to ask for your help. We are the Chair and Secretary of the Hillsborough Families Support Group and we have worked closely with Hacked Off to hold politicians to the promises they made to have more effective press regulation and to end the terrible injustices that some newspapers perpetrate.