Chris Bryant MP delivered the 2022 Leveson Lecture entitled The Truth Algorithm at the University of Westminster’s Little Titchfield Street site on Wednesday 6 December. Sponsored by the Hacked Off campaign, this was the ninth annual Leveson Lecture and came just after the tenth anniversary of publication of the Leveson report.
Steven Barnett, Professor of Communications at the University and Board member of Hacked Off, welcomed guests and introduced fellow board member and actor Hugh Grant. Grant provided a brief update of events since Leveson published his report into the culture and ethics of the press in 2012, following revelations of widespread phone hacking and other unlawful and unethical practices by UK newspapers. He highlighted the new regulator Impress as evidence of progress in the quest for genuinely independent regulation that could protect ordinary people from press abuse and promote public interest journalism.
But he warned that the major national publishers continue to evade scrutiny by setting up their own industry regulator IPSO, which was no different from its discredited predecessor, the PCC.
Hugh Grant introducing Chris Bryant MP
Chris Bryant MP delivering the 2022 Leveson Lecture
Grant then introduced the evening’s speaker, the Labour MP Chris Bryant who has represented the Rhondda constituency since 2001.
Bryant explored the current state of journalism and its relationship with social media algorithms. He warned about the media’s increasing tendency to favour opinions over factual accuracy and objective truths, drawing attention in particular to the promotion of COVID-19 and other conspiracy theories on GB News.
Bryant also addressed the growing evidence of how these algorithms promote extreme views and amplify hatred, as journalistic rigour is increasingly sacrificed in favour of online clickbait to generate revenue. He cited in particular the 83 social media accounts that were found to be responsible for 73% of negative social media comments towards Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, remarking that “Fictional 1984 has nothing on 2022.”
Bryant called for tighter regulation of broadcasters that share conspiracy theories, greater transparency for how social media algorithms work, and a curb on the monopoly power currently enjoyed by Meta and Google.
A lively panel discussion followed with The Guardian’s Haroon Sadique, presenter Jacqui Hames, Demos’ Ellen Judson and Nathan Sparkes, Chief Executive of Hacked Off, answering questions from the audience.
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Watch the 2022 Leveson Lecture below.
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