Bylines Network was formed in 2020, against a backdrop of distrust in traditional media. Starting with a single publication, we have evolved into a group of ten UK national and regional titles, run by a community of volunteers and giving voice to a small army of 2000 citizens. Reaching around 500,000 readers a month, we are a bottom-up alternative to legacy journalism, corporate-owned news, and post-truth social media.
As of today, another grassroots network is trying to redress power imbalances in the media system. On 5 November, Media Revolution is launching the next stage of its campaign to rebuild the global information system, so that it serves people and planet – not profit.
Who owns the media?
Whilst Bylines Network has been expanding, corporations and billionaires have tightened their grip on large parts of the news ecology. According to the Media Reform Coalition, three corporates – DMG Media, News UK and Reach – control 90% of newspapers in the UK, and nearly half the country’s most visited online news outlets.
DMG is owned by Jonatham Harmsworth, who has an estimated net worth of £1bn. News UK is owned by Rupert Murdoch, currently valued at £11bn ($13.8bn). Reach PLC made operating profits of £102m last year.
There is also Newsquest, owned by the American conglomerate Gannett, and National World, which was taken over by Media Concierge earlier this year. With Reach, they own 51% of the UK’s local newspapers and websites.
Media Revolution argues that these entities determine whose voices matter and what stories are told, resulting in a media culture that trades in outrage and distraction. They share a concern expressed by many Bylines Network readers: that concentrations of media power undermine democracy. The alternative, they suggest, is to rebuild trust in public life by reclaiming the flow of information.
Uniting efforts to disrupt disinformation
The network’s organisers argue that disinformation, and the division it causes, can harm everyone regardless of political allegiance. “Whether it’s climate denial, ignoring genocide or blaming migrants,” a spokesperson says, “we’re all targets for billionaire brainwashing.”
Our recent national survey showed many Bylines Network readers think modern media is a churn of headlines and hashtags, rewarding clicks over clarity. Media Revolution points out this “isn’t a free exchange of information but a microphone with dodgy settings – calibrated to pick up only certain voices.” They see this as an issue of rights, pointing out that “there’s more consumer protection in buying a sandwich than in consuming information.”
There are some bold efforts, inside and outside the industry, to build better regulation, put accuracy in the driving seat, and prize ethical public interest journalism. Not least those led by PINF, Impress, Hacked Off, and the Press Justice Project. As George Monbiot recently noted, there is also a burgeoning of fact-based grassroots citizen-led journalism, of which Bylines Network is proud to be at the forefront.
Media Revolution seeks to unite independent outlets, campaigners and reform projects in a broad coalition of independent journalists, digital rights advocates, technologists and grassroots organisers – starting today, 5 November. Or, as they call it, Media Liberation Day, when the movement unveils its flagship project: the Media Consumer Union.
Turning audiences into agents of change
The Media Consumer Union doesn’t see readers and viewers as passive consumers, but as citizens with rights. It plans to use tactics like boycotts, digital divestment and collective bargaining, and lead campaigns to draw people away from news outlets that spew disinformation and sensationalism. Whilst rallying support for credible alternatives and new ethical standards.
At the heart of this is the idea that access to accurate news is a human right. Without it, people can’t make informed choices about their lives or hold power to account. As Media Revolution’s spokesperson says: “Truthful information isn’t a luxury; it’s the foundation of democracy itself.”
This explains why they are not only disrupting existing media but trying to foster a new ecosystem of trusted content through a decentralised platform called Mo-Me (short for Movement-Media). Mo-Me promises a feed free from ads, surveillance and algorithms. It will share news from verified independent sources and grassroots campaigns, building on transparency and community engagement.
A pathway to reclaiming the power of truth
Media Liberation Day is not a one-off. It will be marked every year on 5 November until real change is achieved. This year, it will build membership for the Media Consumer Union and recruit partners from independent media, academia and digital rights networks.
Sceptics might dismiss Media Revolution’s vision as utopian. No doubt some people said as much about campaigns for fair trade, data privacy and ethical investing when they were in their infancy. But those leading this new effort don’t think they’re walking the road alone: “Real change is already happening in communities. The Media Revolution is here to amplify it.”
The organisers know the road ahead is steep. They’re challenging not just corporate interests, but the habits formed over years of digital news consumption on smart devices – the almost involuntary urge to scroll, click and share without asking who benefits. The answer, they argue, is collaboration between journalists, communities and citizens who want a media that speaks truth to power and serves the public good.
These are the people and principles that gave birth to the Bylines Network and have nurtured our growth. If our journey tells you anything, it is that free and fair journalism, built collectively from the bottom up, fosters hope, forges connections and enables democracy to thrive.
Join the Media Liberation Day events and actions, find our more here:
