CLAUDIA WEBBE speaks out against the lethal mechanics of Britain’s culture-war press
NEVER has a single tweet caused such consternation among the British commentariat.
“The main thing I’ve learned from working in the British media is that much of it is a cult. Afflicted by a suffocating groupthink, intolerant of critics, hounds internal dissenters, full of people who made it because of connections and/or personal background rather than merit,” Guardian columnist Owen Jones tweeted last month.
The indignant responses — perfectly illustrating Jones’s argument — came thick and fast.
Media Lens at 25: David Cromwell and David Edwards reflect on a quarter-century of media criticism, explaining why independent journalism is more important than ever
IAN SINCLAIR examines the curious memory lapses across liberal media when it comes to British government crimes
RAMZY BAROUD looks at how Western media are being forced to kowtow to the Establishment’s war narratives
On January 2 2014, PJ Harvey used her turn as guest editor of the Today programme to expose the realities of war, arms dealing and media complicity. The fury that followed showed how rare – and how threatening – such honesty is within Britain’s most Establishment broadcaster, says IAN SINCLAIR



