Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom
The Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom (CPBF) is an organization founded in the UK in 1979, initially focused on addressing perceived biases in the British national press regarding industrial disputes. It later expanded its mission to promote diverse voices in media and maintain high journalistic standards. The CPBF actively opposes the concentration of media ownership and advocates for non-private ownership of newspapers, as well as the defense of public service broadcasting. The organization is committed to combating racism, sexism, and any incitement to violence in the media. Its core aims include ensuring the right to know, fair representation, access, accountability, and freedom of the airwaves. The CPBF has collaborated with other groups to further its objectives and boasts approximately fifteen hundred members, both individual and institutional. To disseminate information and promote its cause, the CPBF publishes a regular journal titled *Free Press*, along with various books and pamphlets.
Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom
Founded: 1979
Type of organization: British group supporting democratically accountable and open media
Significance: This group has worked against bias and censorship in large, privately owned broadcasting organizations
The Campaign for Press Freedom (CPF) was set up at a meeting at Great Britain’s Trades Union Congress (TUC) Annual Conference in 1979. The body’s primary concern was to counter and expose what it saw as right-wing biases in the reporting of industrial disputes by the British national press. Three years later it broadened its name—and its focus—to the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom (CPBF). Since then the organization has aimed to ensure that the news media maintain high standards and offer a diversity of voices. To uphold the latter aim the CPBF has opposed the concentration of media ownership in a few hands and has promoted nonprivate ownership of newspapers. It has also defended public service broadcasting, and has opposed racism, sexism, and incitements to violence in the media.
The CPBF has listed among its aims support for the right to know; the right to fair representation, access and accountability; workers’ participation; the right to make contact; freedom of the airwaves; facilities for all; and the right to reply. To help achieve these aims, it has allied with other pressure groups.
In 1995 the CPBF had about fifteen hundred individual and institutional members. It publishes a regular journal, Free Press, as well as books and pamphlets.