Jeremy Corbyn has been hit with a backlash over his ‘power grab’ on the free press today – after he demanded tighter controls on media firms and a state funded version of Facebook.
The Labour leader took aim at the media in a keynote speech after a torrid spell of coverage over his handling of the party’s anti-Semitism crisis.
He mooted a nationalised ‘British Digital Corporation’ to take on Facebook and Netflix – and urged ‘enforced shareholder dilution’ with the public getting a stake in big publishers.
But the proposals were condemned by critics as ‘sinister’ and a ‘wholesale plan for more state control’. Tory chairman Brandon Lewis said Mr Corbyn wanted to avoid ‘legimitate scrutiny’ and Labour former head of press Jo Green questioned his ‘motivation’.
The Labour leader (pictured in Edinburgh yesterday) took aim at the media in a keynote speech after a torrid spell of coverage over his handling of the party’s anti-Semitism crisis
In his speech at the Edinburgh TV Festival yesterday, Mr Corbyn called for the BBC to publish more information about the social class of its workforce – drawing jibes about the wealthy background of his own inner circle.
The veteran left-winger suggested journalists working for private outlets that had a ‘certain audience share’ should elect their editors.
‘You could take this further at a higher audience share, with enforced shareholder dilution with equity and seats on the board awarded to workers and the readers, viewers or listeners,’ he added.
He suggested that would be a way to end the ‘stranglehold of elite power and billionaire domination over large parts of our media’.
The new British Digital Corporation (BDC) would exist alongside the BBC and provide free access to an digital content and information, Mr Corbyn said.
That could include ‘public social media platforms’ similar to Facebook or Twitter, as rivals for streaming services like Netflix.
He said the body would work with other organisations Labour wanted to set up to find ways for the public to take ‘control of key levers of our economy’.
He added: ‘The BDC could work with other institutions that the next Labour government will set up like our National Investment Bank, National Transformation Fund, Strategic Investment Board, Regional Development Banks and our public utilities to create new ways for public engagement, oversight and control of key levers of our economy.’
A new British Digital Corporation (BDC) could host ‘public social media platforms’ like Facebook, Mr Corbyn suggested
The Labour leader denied that the plans were revenge on the national press for coverage of the Labour antisemitism crisis.
Tory chairman Mr Lewis said: ‘Dressed up as press freedom, this was nothing more than a wholesale plan for more state control over our media.
‘From forcing BBC journalists to state their social class, to a nationalised Facebook, these measures are an attempt to hamstring our free press and legitimate scrutiny of Jeremy Corbyn.
‘Only the Conservatives will defend our free press, a vital function of a healthy democracy.’
Labour’s former head of press Mr Green said on Twitter: ‘Perhaps it’s just being an old cynic, but I find elements of these media reforms rather sinister.
‘And I don’t believe for a second that they are motivated by a belief that a future govt should be held to greater journalistic scrutiny.’