Democracy has always mattered to me, perhaps because I grew up in a ‘debate at the kitchen table’ type family, where I, as an A-Level politics student, fiercely believed that the United Kingdom – and Wales – was democratic. I would list the UK constitution’s checks and balances, argue vociferously that the voting system was fair, failing to fathom the idea that a country where everybody over the age of sixteen had the right to vote could not be democratic. Now, I often wish for a return to that innocent and naïve mindset. Unfortunately, I now know that, to misquote Gandhi, democracy in the UK is nothing but a very good idea.
Back then, I was convinced that the UK’s democracy, and the ‘Mother of all Parliaments’ was the gold standard. Like a magician’s sleight of hand, it looked flawless from an outsider’s perspective, but the closer I got, the more I recognised the existence of trapdoors and mirrors. The illusion of checks and balances and of fair voting systems sufficient enough to enable democracy is countered by what we don’t see, what is kept hidden from us. A healthy, functioning democracy requires a huge amount of moving parts. Democracy depends on how we as society gain knowledge, how our stories are told, and who gets to tell them. Those stories should enable informed decision making and judgements.
For evening news, I tend to open my BBC Cymru Fyw app. What is going on in the world? The first headline reads “‘Nightmare’ as short notice changes to school transport to Aberystwyth”. Additionally on the front page, a disturbing story of Reform sending out anti-Labour correspondence on the day of a Labour MP’s funeral. Had I been an English speaking Welsh person opening the English version of the BBC News Wales pages, neither of these stories would have appeared on its ‘unbiased’ front page at that point in time. The same was true in the opposite direction, with English language stories failing to appear on the Welsh language version of the BBC Cymru News pages.
Who is to say that these stories are unimportant to certain linguistic groups within our population? Why is it that even the British Broadcasting Corporation has inconsistencies in the news that they provide for citizens according to language? Is there any wonder that the predominantly Welsh-speaking areas tend to vote for different political parties? These disparities are not just quirks of editorial choice; they reflect the fact that decisions about broadcasting are still controlled by London. Without devolved broadcasting powers, Wales remains unable to properly shape how its own stories are told.
"Inclusion within journalism is not a tokenistic gesture, it is the foundation of a functioning democracy."
Writer
If we consider democracy as being about every vote being counted; every voice being heard; then our media is its loudspeaker. Currently, so many Welsh voices are not being heard. Inclusion within journalism is not a tokenistic gesture, it is the foundation of a functioning democracy. It means that the stories we tell, the languages we use, and the people we platform reflect the full reality of Wales, not just the fragments that neatly fit into a London-centric news cycle.
To have truly inclusive media and journalism in Wales, we must begin with language parity. Both languages should stand side by side in our national conversation, not in a hierarchy where one is treated as the “default” and the other as some sort of quaint cultural add-on. True inclusivity means that a breaking news story in Gwynedd is reported with the same urgency and depth in Welsh as it is in English. This also means geographical fairness. Too often, the English language media lens in Wales gives focus to Cardiff and the south-east of Wales, which leaves rural and post-industrial communities under-reported. It is essential that the experiences of people in Ceredigion, Ynys Mon and Ystradgynlais are treated as an integral part to the national story, regardless of language.
This also means diversity within the newsroom. A truly inclusive Welsh media would be shaped by journalists from working-class backgrounds, ethnic minority communities, disabled people, and those who represent the people of Wales. Without this range of perspectives, coverage risks becoming an echo chamber of polite, predictable stories blind to the realities that exist outside its own walls.
Devolving broadcasting powers to Wales is not just a constitutional footnote, it is the mechanism that could enable this inclusive and empowering vision. With control over commissioning, funding, and liberating editorial priorities, we could easily build a media landscape that reflects the Wales in which we truly live. Devolved broadcasting powers would allow us to invest in local journalism, nurture new talent, and ensure that coverage of Welsh issues is not filtered through the prism of Westminster’s priorities.
Mirain is a Law student from Swansea, who is now studying in Manchester. You can follow her on Instagram.
