A brand new podcast from the UK authorities’s Division for Tradition, Media and Sport (DCMS) is receiving a combined response from throughout the tradition sector.
On the finish of February the DCMS launched First Draft, a podcast hosted by a tradition minister Chris Bryant, which is able to air fortnightly. Bryant says on X that “that is the primary ever authorities minister podcast” and, in line with the DCMS, episodes will likely be delivered “at no further price”.
“First Draft is a podcast that champions the cultural and artistic industries. It is going to be a chance for a wide range of company from throughout DCMS sectors to affix the Minister and share their experiences,” says a DCMS spokesperson.
Brett Spencer, the director of the Centre of Podcasting Excellence at Metropolis St George’s, College of London, says that First Draft offers the DCMS a chance to bridge the communication hole with the voters and construct a extra engaged and related neighborhood throughout related topic areas.
“It does have the potential to achieve a youthful, politically engaged viewers who select to take heed to podcasts somewhat than get their information elsewhere. Authorities communications can usually really feel sterile and indifferent and a podcast can current a special aspect to a politician and permits them to talk extra conversationally, humanising them, and constructing belief with listeners,” he provides.
Rob Summerhill, a Welsh photographer, additionally praises the initiative on X, writing that “that is very constructive when it comes to communication. Keir [Starmer] and different [government] departments must get their act collectively and easily inform the voters what they’ve executed, what’s subsequent.”
Nonetheless Rob Watson, the director of the media consultancy, Decentered Media, says that the brand new podcast is extremely inappropriate. He asks: “Why not put money into neighborhood radio to develop this content material, somewhat than utilizing the federal government advertising and marketing and promotion machine, which many will really feel is propaganda as a result of it isn’t editorially unbiased or accountable?”
“How will [Bryant] match this in? I hope he can nonetheless give attention to different key points akin to difficult the federal government’s AI copyright plans,” mentioned an nameless cultural commentator. Inventive professionals have protested towards proposals to let synthetic intelligence corporations use copyright-protected work with out permission.
Final 12 months, following Labour’s victory within the Common Election, Bryant was appointed Minister of State at each the Division for Science, Innovation and Know-how and the Division for Tradition.
