Oral Evidence Submission - House of Lords Communications Committee: Public Service Broadcasting in the Age of Video on Demand

House of Lords Communications Committee, Tue 02 Apr 2019. Subject: Public service broadcasting in the age of video on demand Witnesses: Professor Patrick Barwise, Emeritus Professor of Management and Marketing, London Business School Professor Petros Iosifidis, Professor of Media Policy, City, University of London Professor Jeanette Steemers, Professor of Culture, Media and Creative Industries, King's College Londo

Engaging Citizens with Televised Election Debates through Online Interactive Replays

In this paper we tackle the crisis of political trust and public engagement with politics by investigating new methods and tools to watch and take part in televised political debates. The paper presents relevant research at the intersection of citizenship, technologies and government/democracy, and describes the motivation, requirements and design of Democratic Replay, an online interactive video replay platform that offers a persistent, customisable digital space for: (a) members of the public to express their views as they watch online videos of political events; and (b) enabling for a richer collective understanding of what goes on in these complex media events

”˜An accident waiting to happen\u27: The failure of HBOS

Fourth Report of Session 2012-13; Volume I: Report, together with formal minutes; Volume II (oral and written evidence) is available on the Commission\u27s website, www.parliament.uk/bankingstandard

Assessments of mental capacity: upholding the rights of the vulnerable or the misleading comfort of pseudo objectivity?

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present findings from a research project which investigated the approaches of different groups of assessors to the mental capacity assessments which are required to be conducted as part of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) Design/Methodology/Approach Four case study vignettes were given to participants.Three groups involved in the DOLS assessment process were interviewed by telephone about the factors that may influence their capacity assessments. Findings Most assessors did not refer to the required two stage test of capacity or the 'causative nexus' which requires that assessors must make clear that it is the identified 'diagnostic' element which is leading to the inability to meet the 'functional' requirements of the capacity test. The normative element of capacity assessments is acknowledged by a number of assessors who suggest that judging a person's ability to 'weigh' information, in particular, is a subjective and value based exercise, which is given pseudo objectivity by the language of the MCA. A number of elements of good practice were also identified. Research limitations. In this exploratory study, participant numbers were small (n= 21), and we relied on self-report rather than actual observations of practice or audit of completed assessments Practical Implications The findings are of relevance to all of those working in health and social care who undertake assessments of mental capacity, and will be helpful to all of those tasked with designing and delivering training in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). They also have relevance to policy makers in the UK who are involved with reforms to DOLS regulations, and to those in other countries which have legislation similar to the MCA. Originality/Value Much existing literature exhorts further training around the MCA. We suggest that an equally important task is for practitioners to understand and be explicit about the normative elements of the process, and the place of ethics and values alongside the more cognitive and procedural aspects of capacity assessments

The health benefits of autonomous vehicles: public awareness and receptivity in Australia

Objectives: The substantial public health benefits of autonomous vehicles will be optimised once all vehicles operate in autonomous mode. This form of disruptive technology will need to be widely accepted by the community to facilitate the regulatory and behavioural adjustments required to achieve rapid adoption. The aim of this study was to assess: i) receptiveness to autonomous vehicles; ii) the salience of various health benefits (e.g. crash prevention, emission reduction, driving stress reduction, cyclist safety, increased mobility for those unable to drive); and iii) prompted awareness of these health benefits. Methods: Quantitative and qualitative data were generated via a national online survey of a broad range of Australians aged 16 years and over (n=1,624). Results: There were neutral levels of receptiveness and very low salience of health benefits, but more substantial levels of prompted awareness of positive health outcomes. Conclusions: These results suggest that the public may be interested in information relating to the individual and societal health benefits of autonomous vehicles, which in turn may increase overall support for this innovation. Implications for public health: Australians are likely to be receptive to autonomous vehicles when provided with information relating to their public health benefits

The re-regulation of broadcasting: Or the mill owners’ triumph

Discusses the driving forces behind the Communications Bill 2001 of Great Britain. Terms of the bill; Arguments concerning the re-regulation

Public Participation Organizations and Open Policy:A Constitutional Moment for British Democracy?

This article builds on work in Science and Technology Studies and cognate disciplines concerning the institutionalization of public engagement and participation practices. It describes and analyses ethnographic qualitative research into one “organization of participation,” the UK government–funded Sciencewise program. Sciencewise’s interactions with broader political developments are explored, including the emergence of “open policy” as a key policy object in the UK context. The article considers what the new imaginary of openness means for institutionalized forms of public participation in science policymaking, asking whether this is illustrative of a “constitutional moment” in relations between society and science policymaking