The biggest threat to the BBC's independence is the corporation itself | George Monbiot

It follows a news agenda set by media oligarchs. Instead it should be investigating power, money and their influence on our livesThey don’t want balance, they want possession. The oligarchs who own the newspapers will never accept the BBC, because it does not belong to them. However tame and conservative it becomes, they will demand it is defunded. And Boris Johnson is listening.In an interview with the Guardian last week, the presenter Andrew Marr warned: “The Murdoch empire and others are trying to push us towards a world in which the BBC is pretty marginal and people are getting most of their news and their views from privately funded television companies, as in America.” He’s right. A forthcoming book by Patrick Barwise and Peter York, The War Against the BBC, shows that Johnson’s attacks arise from a long-standing plan to cripple it. Dominic Cummings sketched out his strategy in 2004: discredit the BBC; set up rival, partisan channels; and lift the ban on political advertising. It seems to be falling into place. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2020-10-07 06:00:30 UTC ]
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Independent bookstores look to life after Borders

Jay Hancock: Is the death of Borders a bell that tolls for the book trade? Or a business opportunity? Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2011-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Half of Wakefield's libraries under threat

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Thu, 28/07/2011 - 08:41 Twelve of 25 libraries in the Wakefield district will cease to be funded by the authority after councillors gave their backing to a new proposal. The libraries under threat include those in Kettlethorpe, South Kirkby and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC in partial short story u-turn

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 28/07/2011 - 08:37 BBC Radio 4 seems to have performed a partial u-turn on its decision to cut the number of short stories it airs from three to one per week, with a compromise of two weekly broadcasts. Listeners, authors and celebrities such as... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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SoA urges BBC short story rethink

Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Tue, 19/07/2011 - 15:43 The Society of Authors has said it would be a "great shame" if the BBC goes ahead with its planned cuts to short story coverage on BBC Radio 4 and pleaded with the broadcaster to reconsider. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fragmentation threat to Summer Reading scheme

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Wed, 13/07/2011 - 15:35 The Reading Agency has warned library service cutbacks could challenge its Summer Reading Campaign, as it revealed 97% of library authorities will participate in this year's scheme. It will be launched on Monday at the House... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Independent ebook site launches

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Fri, 08/07/2011 - 08:36 A blogging site that aims to boost authors' independent ebook sales has been created by writers Katherine Roberts and Susan Price in response to a significant contraction in many authors' earnings. Roberts said: "The whole of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Depository to "operate independently" of Amazon

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-growth good in Europe, despite increasing US threat

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Tue, 21/06/2011 - 10:13 UK publishers are seeing good growth from ebook sales overseas, particularly in Scandinavia, but they face a looming threat from US ebook companies, which are now setting their sights on English readers in Europe. Though there... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Six picked for BBC Samuel Johnson shortlist

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nominations open for UK's "biggest ever poetry festival"

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors readied to support strong Independent Booksellers Week

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Wed, 25/05/2011 - 08:45 Edmund de Waal, Maggie O’Farrell and Tony Parsons are among the authors lined up to take part in Independent Booksellers Week. The week of events, in association with the Booksellers Association, will take place between... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Independent Booksellers Book Prize shortlists unveiled

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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First George Orwell festival launched

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC defends genre fiction coverage

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Independent Retail Group folds

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Implementing a Mobile Strategy as an Independent Publisher

A b-to-b publisher shares lessons from its first app launch including mobilizing Web sites and implementing QR codes. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC boosts bookshop sales by "almost £500,000"

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Wed, 23/03/2011 - 15:49 The BBC's "Faulks on Fiction" and "My Life in Books" series have boosted book sales by almost £500,000, Nielsen BookScan data indicates. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Government denies library statutory protection is under threat

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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