Article by James Tapsfield for MailOnline - published 20 April 2020 Facebook and Google should be made to pay for news content generated by the UK media to avoid the 'death of the industry', ministers were told today. Ex-Culture Committee chair Damian Collins is urging the government to follow the example of Australia, where new rules are […]
We have experienced an Easter weekend like no other in peacetime. Whereas last year there were complaints during the bank holiday weekends that heavy traffic made it difficult for visitors and residents to get into or out of Folkestone, this year the roads, like the beaches and parks, are quiet. We have now endured three […]
Article by David Wooding and published 12 April 2020 An MP is backing a new way to counter coronavirus conspiracy theories sweeping the internet during lockdown. Tory Damian Collins is helping to launch a free fact-checking service to nail dangerous lies about the disease. One false rumour blamed mobile phone masts for spreading the virus and […]
Article by Amie Tsang for The New York Times - published 10 April 2020 British audiences have flocked to the broadcaster for breaking news and escapism, offering it hope of fending off its critics and cuts to its funding. LONDON — It may seem unlikely that a country known for being buttoned-up would turn to […]
Article by David Molloy & Leo Kelion for BBC News - published 9 April 2020 Social networks need a dedicated button to flag up bogus coronavirus-related posts, an advocacy group has said. The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) said the apps had "missed a trick" in combating the problem. The call coincides with a […]
Article by Alain Tolhurst for PoliticsHome - published 9 April 2020 Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has called on the broadcast watchdog to take action against a TV station for allowing David Icke to promote “lunatic conspiracy theories” about the coronavirus pandemic. London Live has come under fire for giving the former BBC presenter - who has […]
Article written for Campaign - published 8 April 2020 There is no corner of the world that has been left untouched by the coronavirus. It is taking lives and may yet be the cause of the greatest economic crash since the great depression of the 1930s. Alongside this, we have seen another virulent and damaging […]
We have all been concerned over the last week with the rising numbers of people across the country falling victim to the coronavirus. Nationally more than 5,000 people have died as a result of contracting COVID-19, with more than 70 deaths being recorded in Kent’s hospitals. Amongst these, we have lost some of the brave […]
Written for The House Magazine - published 4 April 2020 In response to this problem, I have launched a new service called Infotagion, enabling people to check information they see that doesn’t look right. The coronavirus is the first major public health crisis of the social media age. That is significant because whilst there has […]
Over the last week the Government has been focused on restricting the spread of the coronavirus by introducing new social distancing measures and urging people to stay at home as far as possible. The early indications are that this may be starting to slow the rate of new infections of the virus, so whilst this […]