The Media

Part of 6. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 3:28 pm on 15 July 2020.

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Photo of Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas Independent 3:28, 15 July 2020

Thank you, Jenny. Media, broadcast media, are not devolved to us, and you know that I've taken the line over the years that I wasn't prepared to see one part of broadcasting of cultural production being devolved when, other areas, it wasn't possible for us to influence them. I think there are two avenues to follow here. There has to be a very serious discussion between the cultural Ministers across the nations of the UK about the way in which media agglomeration has developed even more of a threat to democracy in the last 10 years than even it was before then. So, there is an approach there where we should make the issue of independence of media, plurality of sources, plurality of channels of information a matter of a central concern to us, because as we've all agreed, who've spoken so far in this question, we've all agreed that this is a key thing for democracy.

But, there is also another area of approach, I think, which is equally important, and I'm glad that you mentioned the international connections. We have to understand that we cannot provide properly independent media in Wales on the basis that it is recreated in terms of regional dominance cross border, and this is what is happening in this case. Therefore, we have to respond to this as well. As a Government, we need to have a policy for communications that enables us to have a clear voice—a clear democratic voice—for all of us who participate in the democratic process in Wales.