Article by James Warrington for City AM - published 19 August 2020 Facebook’s failure to halt the spread of coronavirus misinformation makes it a “major threat” to public health, a damning new report has warned. Research by activist group Avaaz found health misinformation relating to the pandemic was viewed 3.8bn times on the social media […]
Article by Bill McLoughlin for the Daily Express - published 17 August 2020 Concerns were raised over the future funding for regional news funding by Tory MP for Folkestone and Hythe, Damian Collins. The BBC announced 450 job cuts in regional TV news, current affairs, local radio and online in July. The broadcaster also announced a further […]
Article by Andrew Foxall for the Spectator - published 14 August 2020 Christopher Steele, the author of the (in)famous Trump dossier, is right to say Britain has been ‘behind the curve’ when it comes to combating the threat posed by Russia. The UK’s political parties are being targeted by the Kremlin, he told Tory MP Damian Collins […]
Article by Craig Simpson for The Telegraph - published 13 August 2020 Fears over fake news have resulted in fewer people using social media to follow current affairs compared to a year ago, according to a new report from Ofcom. The survey by the media watchdog shows public trust in the impartiality and accuracy of […]
Article by Katie Feehan for MailOnline - published 10 August 2020 MPs have called on the TV watchdog to look at BBC plans to cut its regional news services. The broadcaster is planning a shake-up of regional TV news and local radio in England, axing 450 jobs. The letter to Ofcom calls for a response from the […]
Article by Gordon Corera for BBC News - published 7 August 2020 There must be an organised effort to prevent Russia from disrupting and distorting political life, former MI6 officer Christopher Steele has warned. Mr Steele was behind the so-called Trump-Russia dossier, which alleged collusion between Moscow and the US president's 2016 election campaign. In […]
Article by Emma Yeomans and Tom Knowles for The Times - published 1 August 2020 Social media influencers and celebrities with millions of followers are boosting anti-vaccination messages worldwide, as more people say that they will not take a coronavirus vaccine. Politicians and experts have given warning that the rapid spread of misinformation about a Covid-19 […]
Article by Eleanor Langford for PoliticsHome - published 29 July 2020 As MPs, journalists and concerned users boycott Twitter over its stance on hate speech, Eleanor Langford asks whether the Government can — and should — do more to clamp down on social media firms. Twitter was noticeably quieter this week as users logged off […]
Article by Arvind Hickman for PR Week UK - published 2 July 2020 The former chair of a parliamentary committee charged with investigating social-media platforms has called for the deliberate spreading of harmful content on social media to be criminalised, with users and social-media companies both legally liable. Damian Collins, MP for Folkestone and Hythe, […]
Article by James Cook for the Daily Telegraph - published 30 June 2020 Former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger and other members of Facebook's oversight board are under growing pressure to speak out as the social network battles claims of hate speech. The Supreme Court-style board-set up to rule on controversial ethical issues-has so far remained silent […]