View source for Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom

{{Short description|London-based media pressure group}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
The '''Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom''' was a [[United Kingdom|UK]] pressure group, based in [[London]].
==History==
Originally founded in 1979 as the 'Campaign for Press Freedom' by the London Workers' Control Committee (on the instigation of that body's Secretary, the journalist John Jennings), the organisation was established to campaign for a more democratic and accountable press following the perceived malign influence of an overwhelmingly Tory supporting newspaper industry in the General Election of that year. The CPF later added broadcasting to its remit and campaigned for a more [[Media democracy|democratic media]], which was both accountable and more [[Concentration of media ownership|pluralistic than at present]].<ref name=HofLCharter>{{cite web|title=Memorandum by the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldselect/ldbbc/50/50we05.htm|work=Written Evidence to Select Committee on the BBC Charter Review|publisher=Parliament UK|accessdate=26 August 2012}}</ref>
The Campaign's first initiative was to launch a right of reply campaign, supported by its strong media union base. The right of reply to anti-union and racist attitudes was secured through industrial action in several newspapers including the Daily Mail, Daily Express, Sun and Observer, while the News of the World astutely published a bland space rather than permit a reply.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}
Its campaigns promoted media freedom, [[Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom|public service broadcasting]], and greater equality of representation in public media. In 2008, for example, it protested about television programmes which had been funded to promote UK government policies.<ref name="Sawer-2Aug2008">{{cite news |last1=Sawer |first1=Patrick |last2=Isaby |first2=Jonathan |title=Inquiry into television shows funded by ministers |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2490854/Inquiry-into-television-shows-funded-by-ministers.html |accessdate=10 October 2018 |work=Telegraph |date=2 August 2008}}</ref>
In 2018, a CBPF [[annual general meeting]] agreed a motion to close the organisation.<ref name="CBPFclose">{{cite web |title=CPBF to close by 30 Nov 2018 |url=https://www.cpbf.org.uk/2018/07/25/cpbf-to-close-by-30-nov-2018/ |website=CPBF |accessdate=12 March 2020}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.cpbf.org.uk/ CPBF website]
*[http://www.mediareform.org.uk Media Reform Coalition UK] - similar currently active organisation
*[http://bettermedia.uk/know-the-media Better Media] - list of similar organisations
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1979 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Political organisations based in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:2018 disestablishments in England]]
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