Media Plurality

Media plurality is one of the 'media public interest considerations' the Secretary of State may rely on to intervene in a merger involving newspapers or broadcasting, under the Enterprise Act 2002. The relevant consideration is the need, for every different audience across the UK or a particular area, for there to be a sufficient plurality of persons with control of the media enterprises serving that audience — alongside separate considerations covering the range and quality of broadcasting and commitment to accurate news and free expression of opinion.

Ofcom's role is to advise the Secretary of State on plurality where a media merger raises public interest concerns, and more broadly to keep the regulatory framework for plurality under review. Because the traditional framework was built around ownership of newspapers and broadcast licences, Ofcom has examined how the growth of online news and the role of intermediaries such as search engines and social media platforms affect plurality in ways the original rules did not anticipate.

Ofcom has noted that the plurality framework had not been substantially updated for nearly two decades even as the way people consume news changed dramatically, with online intermediaries increasingly acting as gatekeepers that curate or recommend news content without audiences necessarily being aware of the choices made on their behalf.