Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom

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 democratic media, which was both accountable and more pluralistic than at present.{{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}}

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, 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.{{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}}

In 2018, a CBPF annual general meeting agreed a motion to close the organisation.{{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}}

The CPBF published the first edition of its journal Free Press{{cite web|url=https://www.cpbf.org.uk/freepress/|title=Freepress - Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom (CPBF)|website=cpbf.org.uk|accessdate=2018-10-09}} in February 1980. The final edition (#216) was published in Autumn 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/final-edition-of-free-press-journal-published-as-campaign-for-press-and-broadcasting-freedom-set-to-close/|title=Final edition of Free Press journal published as Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom set to close|website=Press Gazette|date=4 September 2018 |accessdate=2018-10-09}}

{{Reflist}}

• [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

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Category:1979 establishments in England

Category:Political organisations based in the United Kingdom

Category:2018 disestablishments in England

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