Co-operative media to strengthen democracy

“Can media be co-operative?” This is the question a group of journalists and experts from different fields –like economy and law– attempted to answer this weekend (21 May) in an event organised by Goldsmith College, the National Union of Journalists and Co-operatives UK. And their answer has been a firm: “Yes, they can”.

Gathered in London, these professionals concluded co-operative and mutual models could help media to overcome the deep crisis they are experiencing. We were there, with them, and here are some of the ideas they shared with the attendants.  

British media, especially local communication enterprises, are crumbling. Under-staffed and under-resourced, newspapers and broadcasters found themselves forced to preserve a way of prioritizing and telling stories which keeps them far away from its audience’s interests and its traditional social role. However, redefining local media as businesses could help to put them back into the community, serving its workers and citizens better. Co-operatives, mutuals, non-for-profit organisations, and a rise in public funding, are some of the alternatives experts suggest to remedy this situation; proposals that are considered to be fairer and a guarantee of independence and freedom for our professionals and our society. 

Natalie Fenton, one of the speakers in London –and professor of Media and Communications at Goldsmith–, warned media should move away from a competitive model itself, away from a primarily for profit model, and co-operatives, with its values and principles, fit this profile.  

Co-operative media

“Co-operatives are for profit but not for external profits. It is an ownership model from the bottom, where the money returns to its members and the co-operative itself”, said Ed Mayo, Secretary General of Co-operatives UK, also present at Goldsmith College. “It is a different model, a story of collaboration, of working better working together”.

Co-operatives engage with its members, whether workers or customers. This relationship can reflect in the media sector rebuilding the boundaries between people and journalism. “The harsh truth is that if communities want papers that understand their issues and reflect them, and reporters want papers that are committed to journalism, then you have to find a business model which takes power and control away from people who have shown they have a paper-thin commitment to both of these”, says Dave Boyle, member of the Co-operative Business Development Panel at Co-operatives UK. This is essential for journalism.

Being a co-operative is, definitely, about taking control of one’s work. This is essential for journalism, to get high-quality news and, as a result, to promote democracy: only independent professionals (ethically independent and independent from the market) can create a more conscious and committed society. 

A case study: Port Talbot Magnet

But are all these options viable? There are several experiences in the UK that prove local media can look at co-operatives as an alternative business model. Port Talbot Magnet is a clear example.

It was launched in autumn 2010 by a group of local journalists, members of the National Union of Journalists. Now the co-operative counts almost 20 professionals working to provide Port Talbot and the nearest towns with all kind of news and information services. They chose the co-operative model because they were confident it was the best way of providing quality news, and sustaining jobs and media in the local areas. Ken Smith, member of its board, reminded: “We regarded ourselves as ethically minded and sensible with the principles we wanted to achieve, and we felt that setting up a co-operative was the most suitable form for that to carry on”.  

The co-operative is still in development, growing day by day. Port Talbot Magnet offers its readers information on education, environment, health, welfare, entertainment and sports. It is ambitious because it attempts to suit people’s worries and interests, but also because it suggests a new way of telling stories. Rachel Howelds, member of the co-operative, said: “Journalism is often about competing, and the co-operative model is about collaborating. And I think that is what the future is like”.

She is sure Port Talbot Magnet wouldn’t exist if it was not a co-operative; and, maybe, it is a good lesson for hopeless journalists who are struggling to get their voice heard as professionals and citizens.

If we want media to suit their social role, if we want them to be a public service, as they were considered to be in the past, we need healthy media, caring for the community and their readers’ interests, and co-operative model can achieve this.

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* Co-operatives UK works to help and support those from the entertainment industry and the media sector interested in setting up their own companies.

As an initiative of the Co-operative Business Development Panel (CBDP), Co-operatives UK is involved in the Co-operative Cast&Crew project to examine the prospects for a cooperative model for agencies in the cultural sector. Creative sector and media –especially local media– are one of the Panel’s main priorities.

One example of this work is the guide on how to start a co-operative in the creative industries. Follow the link to learn more about it.

http://uk.coop/resources/documents/creative-co-operatives