From Monday the 21st of March 2022, the Media Democracy Festival will present a week-long celebration of progressive media voices, both digitally and at an in-person event.
Following five days of international online talks, Saturday 26th March will see the festival host a day of panels, workshops and Q&A discussions at Birkbeck, University of London.
Eliz Mizon, a media campaigner and organiser for the event, commented, “Last year we had to be entirely online, which meant that we had some amazing panels but no workshops or interactive sessions. This year, we have several workshops that will give journalists, filmmakers, organisers, creatives, activists and any other attendees tools to make a better media industry and interact with the media in a more meaningful and useful way.”
The Media Democracy Festival is hosted by the Media Reform Coalition. The group was established in September 2011 with the aim of coordinating an effective contribution by civil society groups, academics and media campaigners to debates over media regulation, ownership and democracy. The Media Democracy Festival subsequently has sessions spanning all of these fields.
First, a number of livestreams will take place on YouTube throughout the week, touching on topics like Framing the Climate Emergency and Creating a ‘People’s BBC’.
Then, at the festival’s physical event, Keynote speaker John McDonnell MP will meanwhile open the Saturday event by discussing The Media We Need in a Culture of Political Lies – before the day’s ending plenary session will see a Q&A with Rhian Graham of the Colston 4, discussing The Effects of Right-Wing Media Control.
Panels in the interim will include Misinformation and Accountability; along with workshops including Democratising Local Media; and seminars including Who Owns the UK Media?
A full list of the activities and speakers can be found on the an Eventbrite page, where attendance can also be registered.
While all sessions are free to attend, attendees should book in advance to avoid disappointment. Donations are also welcomed, as any contribution at all will help the Media Reform Coalition cover the running costs of the festival.