A free press: who owns the news
The nutshell
Most news in the UK comes from private companies, not from the government. A newspaper is free to back a political party. But by law, news on TV and radio must be fair to all sides.
Every fact on this page comes from the UK's media regulator, Parliament's own researchers and public ownership records. Each source tag — like HoC — opens where a fact comes from.
The basics
Who owns UK newspapers
Most news in the UK comes from private companies, not from the government. A group called the Media Reform Coalition studied who owns what. It found that just three companies sell about 90 out of every 100 national newspapers.MRC Those three are DMG Media, News UK and Reach.
A newspaper is free to take a side
A UK newspaper does not have to be impartial. Impartial means treating every side fairly. So a newspaper is allowed to back one political party, and many do, especially at election time. The press also sets its own rules. Most newspapers answer to an independent regulator, not to the government.HoC A regulator is a body that checks the rules are followed.
TV and radio must be fair to all sides
The rules are different for news on TV and radio. By law, that news must be reported accurately and shown with due impartiality — fair to every side.Ofcom This rule comes from Ofcom, the body that regulates UK broadcasters. It does not cover newspapers.
Rules to keep the news varied
Parliament also has rules about who can own the media. Ofcom says these rules aim to protect plurality — a wide range of news sources — so people can read and watch more than one point of view.Ofcom Ofcom must check these ownership rules for Parliament at least every three years.
- A press owned by private companies, not the state, can question the government freely, because no minister decides what a newspaper prints
- Press complaints go to an independent regulator, which keeps the government out of what a newspaper may publish
- Many rival titles and free news websites give readers different places to compare the same story
- A few companies own most national newspapers, giving a small number of owners a large share of the news
- Newspapers do not have to be impartial, so a paper can openly back one party at election time
- Most large publishers did not join the regulator set up after the Leveson report, which leaves press rules weaker than that report proposed
The deep end6 min
How news ownership works in the UK
A free press means the news is not run by the state. In the UK, most newspapers are owned by private companies, and those companies decide what to print. The Media Reform Coalition, a group that campaigns for media reform, reported in 2025 that three companies — DMG Media, News UK and Reach — control about 90% of national newspaper circulation.MRC Which company owns which title is a matter of public record. The Media Reform Coalition campaigns for change, so its wider argument is not neutral, but the ownership figures can be checked against company records and against Ofcom's own work on media ownership.
Two different rulebooks
Newspapers and broadcasters follow different rules. A newspaper does not have to be impartial and may support a political party. Broadcast news is different. Ofcom's Broadcasting Code, rule 5.1, says news on television and radio must be reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality.Ofcom That rule applies to licensed TV and radio, not to the press.
The press regulates itself. After the Leveson report of 2012, which followed a phone-hacking scandal, a new system of press regulation was set up. The House of Commons Library records that most publishers joined the Independent Press Standards Organisation, or IPSO, a small number joined a separate regulator called Impress, and some titles joined neither.HoC None of these bodies is run by the government.
Why ownership is watched
Parliament has media ownership rules for television, radio and newspapers. Ofcom states that these rules aim to protect plurality and to give citizens access to a variety of sources of news, information and opinion.Ofcom Ofcom must review the rules and report to the government at least every three years.
Views differ on whether the current picture is healthy. Supporters of a privately owned press argue that owners and editors, not ministers, decide what a newspaper prints, which keeps the press free to question those in power. Groups such as the Media Reform Coalition argue that so few owners holding so large a share reduces the range of voices in the news.MRC The ownership share itself is not disputed. What is debated is what that share means, and whether the rules on ownership and on the press should change.