I have already done my usual early-morning scan through a wide range of news sources that emailed me their headlines overnight. These include the FT, Guardian and Telegraph in the UK, as well as the Washington Post and New York Times in the USA. I also pick up a range of other information from specifically tailored Google News alert emails. After all that, I had very little to write about, though one or two items sparked ideas for videos.
The question that followed was obvious. I know it is the end of the supposed “silly season” for the news because our politicians have gone away on holiday, but does that, and should that, mean that the news agenda should come to a virtual halt?
Does this absence of stories say something else? Is it that our media is not really interested in the news at all? Is it, instead, really only interested in the froth that is generated by the political process, and the incessant press releases issued by corporate media, which also go quiet at this time of the year?
The most important stories have not, after all, gone away.
Climate change is still happening.
Poverty is still very real, and is being suffered by far too many people.
People are still in corridors in the NHS.
Schools will be underfunded when the new term begins, and children with special educational and development needs will not be getting the support they need.
Social care remains in crisis.
Many populations in the UK live in fear of far-right politics, and with very good reason.
AI is creating a threat for many communities because of plans for data centres.
Water is not flowing as it should, and is under the wrong ownership.
This list is incomplete, but my point is obvious by now, I think. The stories have not gone away. The issues are still real. But because the people who are talking about them are those who are suffering the consequences rather than the people who created the stress, the media is not noticing.
The obvious question is, how do we get it to do so?
How can, for example, social media replace this news agenda?
What is it that we can do to get the stories that matter in front of those who need to know about them, if only to prove to people that they are not alone in their frustrations, fears and genuine concerns?
I think I'll try to do my bit in this way, but when people ask me, “What can they do?”, I think one of the answers should be: highlight the ordinary.
Everyone has a camera on them these days, all the time. Why not, for example, take a picture and post it on social media with a relevant comment?
A picture of a school could be accompanied by the question, “Will every child get the education they need next term?”
A picture of a charity shop could be accompanied by a comment such as, “Charity shops are closing. Don't we care anymore?”
And a picture of young people taken from behind could be accompanied by the question, “Where do we expect them to meet in the evening without being a nuisance?”
I spend a lot of time thinking about how we can address the problems we have at the moment. Is citizen journalism of this sort one way to do it?
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Everything is local & in aggregate national. Start with local issues and find a way to aggregate them into national ones. Harris tries to do this in the Guardian – very much a lone voice. There are various existing platforms which could do that (not Facebook).
As for the media. Designed to maintain the status quo.
John Harris is a good example of someone who does this, and well, overall.
This is an interesting mal to look at every day – at the moment, the Fire Severity Index Map
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/328554206f114fc98c707bfc1b880cf7
Perhaps a daily report on this?
I am not sure that is this site’s job. Good resource though.
[…] criticised the media this morning, The Telegraph finally came up with a […]
The press has only ever been the means of conveying the events that interest people to a larger crowd than could circulate those stories amongst themselves. It’s the village gossip written for the city. Unfortunately, it has – through commercial and political influence first had to ensure a daily supply when there wasn’t necessarily news to be written about and, second, picked a side and therefore a stance on the story.
It is not practical to go back to village gossip but it is returning to that spirit to encourage people to publish real stories about their own area of life/community and why it matters to them.
Much to agree with
I like to look at the news and consider what has been missed, what stories are absent, and there has been a notable void of good news stories in the last month showing that socialism works.
The Greens try valiantly to get their angles into the mainstream but they only highlight bad news, while ‘public control’ which seems to be new euphemism for socialism keeps being talked about as something that might be, not to praise what is already here.
Might the main stream media, not least the B. B. C. be like the economy?
Might its so limited presentation of relevant realities and enthusiasm for entertaining irrelevancies be a reflection of “our/their” current economic contexts?
“On the one hand, the battered remains of production; on the other, the massive increase in financialization.” [Fom Jean Beaudrillard]
A lot can be learned from the Scottish political blogosphere. Many years ago, in the absence of any newspaper supportive of the independence movement, a whole ecosystem of websites sprang up in an attempt to rebalance the scales. Much of that ecosystem remains in place out of necessity – only the newspaper to which the Professor contributes supports independence while the rest of the media remains implacably hostile.
Good point.
Thank you.
A story I haven’t seen is … Where Is Everyone ? Anecdotal I know, but I have just come back from my annual holiday on Anglesey, and despite the record summer it was ..empty. Friends who live there tell me it has been eerily quiet all summer, and their trips to UK tourist hotspots like Stratford Upon Avon were also notable for being quiet. Is this the cost of living crisis ? Is everyone heading to Scotland for ‘coolcations’ ? I am from Anglesey originally and I have never known it so quiet in August … almost at winter levels.
It is on our list for a visit….
Not in August, though
I never want to go in the school holidays again.
I think every bit can help.
One could also write to parties and MPs but….. my experience is that they either completely ignore what one’s writing or write run-of-the-mill messages (can’t really say which one’s better).
So informing the population might help more.
Only an informed population can make the right choices after all.
I started a thread last week in a forum about MMT and despite thinking that about no one would be interested in it it reached over 500 views and 31 posts so far.
At the start a lot of people were questioning it harshly and I was quite busy answering to them, at the end it became much calmer and some people even thanked me for calmly explaining it to them.
Your idea of pictures with short, easy to understand slogans (like your examples) that are easy to remember and can’t be made unseen is maybe even better for a “first contact”.
One could also write something short like “MMT cares” or “A Politics of care is what we need” at the end, for a positive point in it as well that might spark interest in the alternative to it.
AI could help split the image in two parts, with one being the current reality and the other one showing a possible future.
Many thanks.
I think we’re on a wavelength.
This post and replies has made me think very hard about how I can contribute.
I’ve been following for a while but felt that I wasn’t smart enough to get involved, however this mention of pictures and slogans made me think I may have something to offer.
I’m an illustrator with a reasonable following – 20+ years with a greetings card and giftware company -so I have a platform. I’ve been very cautious in the past to avoid anything political, but maybe it’s time I used my cartoons to make a point.
Is this a skill you can use ?
Yes – most definitely.
Send me ideas. Contacts are here. Let’s talk…
https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/about/
Following on from @Paul unless it hasnt been reported there dont seem to have been the ‘overcrowding’ incidents that happened in Bournemouth last year so perhaps it was just too hot.
2 recent linked develoments that could wake up local resistance (and they aren’t ones Reform UK Ltd. can easily exploit).
1. Downing St is sending 100 civil servants/”gauleiters” to “help” local regional mayoralties.
2. Gov’t is giving Regional Mayors power to override local council planning decisions (no doubt with “help” from those 100 civil servants form Downing St. (I suspect eventually even unitary authorities will eventually disappear, as they are merged into the regional mayoralties).
It’s a clever trick – centralising control upwards while talking about devolving it downwards.
That WILL create a lot of local backlash, once unpoular developments start rolling in (data centres, detention centres, “fulfiment” centres), rare earth mines, mini-nuclear power-stations).
The trick will be, knowing how to successfully mobilise and focus local resistance, to subvert these moves, so that resources and expertise are devolved along with the local power and autonomy to benefit communities, rather than impose central government’s neoliberal agenda on us from above.
Much to agree with
Looking for ideas? Here’s a different take on the country’s debt crisis:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/24/households-in-great-britain-could-owe-energy-suppliers-7bn-by-end-of-year
The tragedy is that it was COMPLETELY AVOIDABLE for a whole host of reasons, all factors within our sovereign government’s power to change.
Cue sympathetic noises (but not much else) from Downing Sts. (North and South).
As for solutions – I think most have been described HERE on FTF – Cue solution-based contributions from Mike Parr et al?
I was able to invest in PV/storage for my home, 6 years ago. Even in a rigged energy market, I’ve been raking it in this $unny $ummer. But my neighbors have energy debts, because GOV said “we can’t afford it”, “let them eat energy bills”. PAH!
Thank you
Hi Richard
Hope you’re well? Here’s a bit of news I’d like you to write about – the collapse of the Trade Talks between USA and Canada. I’ve just read a fascinating article by Dean Blundell on Substack about them, and what a big mistake it was for Trump.
It said he’s tariffing his biggest export market at 50% in the middle of an oil shock, with a bond market in revolt. Canada (5th largest foreign holder of US debt on earth), is preparing to sell US bonds, apparently Japan has already done so, as has China and even the UK to a small extent.
Is this likely to create global economic instability as he seems to think?
Regards…Bob
Was this morning’s video the answer?
I think on in Iran might be needed as well
Richard.
I was listening to Toby Foster on Radio Sheffield this afternoon. The phone-in subject area concerned young people, jobs, education, housing and their future prospects. A comparison with the golden age/baby boomers was covered, but not too well.
The show really needed a Richard Murphy to explain the current political and economic situation and how it impacts upon the young.
You could offer your time to Toby F!
Send him my details.
The truth is that the media are creating a lot of stories but Google is manipulating the algorithms so they don’t appear in people’s social media.
We are constantly given new instructions as to how to try to avoid this but they have set things so links shared remain paralysed.
It is starving newspapers and other media of income and it won’t be long before many can’t continue, especially in the face of any incoming recession.
It is dangerous as the first rung in the ladder of democracy is being kicked away.