From disconnect to dialogue: making journalism accountable to its audience
Public trust in journalism has been eroded by concerns about accuracy, fairness, and accountability in the news media.
While journalism exists to serve the public interest, debates about the ethics and standards that govern it have historically taken place behind closed doors – dominated by elite groups, with little public input. Amid growing scepticism and a fragmented media environment, this exclusion has fuelled calls for more transparent and democratic models of press regulation.
In response, Professors Julie Firmstone and John Steel set out to address this power imbalance. Their work brought the public into the heart of the conversation, giving news audiences a meaningful role in shaping the ethical frameworks that shape UK journalism.
Video summary
Impact
- Cultural impact: building a more trustworthy, accountable, and inclusive news ecosystem
- Community engagement: participants said their understanding of journalism ethics had increased
- Policy impact: research contributed to evidence in the BBC’s 2024 review of its editorial guidelines and to two UK government reviews into media literacy and digital inclusion.
Key information
- Major funders: Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
- Partners and collaborators: Impress, Public Interest News Foundation
- Disciplines: media studies, journalism, ethics
- Investigators: Professor Julie Firmstone, Professor John Steel.
Why regulation needs public voices
When the public's perspectives are excluded from discussions about journalistic standards and ethical frameworks, communities facing social, political, or economic challenges risk having their stories misrepresented or overlooked entirely.
This not only perpetuates harmful stereotypes – deepening inequalities – but it also leads some audiences to disconnect from the news. As a result, some people are less informed about civic issues, retreat into "information bubbles," and stop seeing journalism as holding power to account.
This weakens the media’s role as an agent of accountability and discourages people from engaging critically with the news they consume. In turn, opportunities for informed debate, problem-solving, and collective action reduce, and individuals are less likely to participate in democratic processes.
To counter the increasing disconnect, the researchers set out to provide news audiences an opportunity to play a more active role in shaping ethical practice.
The project built upon a major AHRC-funded study led by Professor Steel, ‘Defining Freedom of the Press’, where he and Professor Firmstone worked with a team of inter-disciplinary researchers to examine how journalism is regulated across 13 countries. It revealed that countries that performed well in terms of press freedom have more media-literate publics.
These findings laid the groundwork for a second phase of research, supported by an ESRC Impact Acceleration Account grant, launched in June 2021 and led by Professor Firmstone. The new study asked: What do audiences think about journalism ethics and standards, and how can their voices help build a more trusted, accountable news ecosystem?
How the evidence came together
With these questions in mind, Professors Firmstone and Steel worked in partnership with Impress, the UK’s only press regulator to be recognised as independent and effective by the Press Recognition Panel.
Together, they co-designed a mixed-methods research programme that engaged over 3,000 people through a nationally representative survey and in-depth focus groups. These engagement activities aimed to capture audience perceptions of journalism, their understanding of regulation, and their expectations for change.
The methods were deliberately participatory, framing the public not just as respondents, but as active co-creators of knowledge. The evidence culminated in the development of a practical toolkit for engaging news audiences in debates about ethics and standards, with the results now used by Impress and shared widely across the sector.
Professor Firmstone said: "In the context of declining levels of trust and confidence in news, coupled with the problems of mis/disinformation, our research highlights the importance of including the voices of the wider public in discussions about how to enhance trust in journalism.”
Rebalancing power through partnership
Collaboration with Impress was central to the project’s success. It independently regulates over 132 publishers and more than 224 news brands, reaching more than 20 million readers. As the only UK press regulator recognised by the Press Recognition Panel, Impress brought significant expertise in media standards and accountability.
The researchers engaged extensively with the Public Interest News Foundation (PINF), representing the interests of independent news providers across the UK.
By hosting PINF’s inaugural Independent News Forum at the School of Media and Communication, Professor Firmstone helped shape sector-wide priorities and amplify the voices of independent media. She continues to collaborate with PINF as a member of their Research Advisory Group.
Impact rooted in public voice advocacy
The research has had a measurable effect on public knowledge and on the strategies of news regulators.
As revealed by feedback from the survey, 64% of participants said their understanding of journalism ethics had increased, and 61% said they were more interested in the topic.
Focus group members reported taking discussions further by researching press regulation online or requesting the full report – sparking deeper individual learning and engagement.
At an institutional level, findings from both projects helped Impress revise its 2023 Standards Code to reflect public values more accurately making press regulation more transparent, inclusive, and attuned to real-world harms.
Impress also used the research as an evidence base to inform the development and implementation of their re-branding and revised business strategy to centre public engagement and education as core missions.
In 2024, drawing on insights from the research, Impress launched a national media literacy campaign ‘#KnowTheNews’, which reached more than 1.2 million people across digital platforms. The campaign aimed to make the public more aware of news media literacy, press regulation, and the Impress Standards Code, especially ahead of the 2024 General Elections.
The work is also contributing to national policy discussions. Professors Firmstone and Steel submitted evidence to the BBC’s 2024 review of its Editorial Guidelines, presenting one of the UK’s most influential journalism institutions with public perspectives and experiences.
They submitted evidence to two government reviews into media literacy and digital inclusion, contributing to broader discussions on how media regulation can better reflect audience needs and restore trust.
Beyond regulation, the project’s influence continues to ripple across practice, policy, and education.
Findings were shared through publicly available reports – including one focused on the project’s focus groups and one reporting on the survey findings – and teaching resources for journalism educators such as the Guardian Foundation’s Media Literacy Ambassador programme.
The research was also recognised at the University of Leeds’ Research Impact and Engagement Awards 2024, where the project won a prize for its ‘mature societal impact.’
What’s next for democratising journalism?
This project has changed how press regulation is practised in the UK. The team will be applying for further funding to continue their efforts to strive for an improved standard of journalism that is inclusive, representative, accurate and honest – ensuring the public can rely on their news media to think critically and engage in civic discourse.