Des Freedman is interested in the relationship between media and power together with the political and economic contexts of media policymaking, regulation and reform. He was a founding member and recent chair of the Media Reform Coalition and was project lead for the Inquiry into the Future of Public Service Television chaired by Lord Puttnam. He is a former editor of the Sage journal 'Global Media and Communication' and has edited several strands for openDemocracy including 'Anti-austerity and media activism' (with Natalie Fenton and Gholam Khiabany), 'Liberalism in neo-liberal times' (with Gholam Khiabany, Kate Nash and Julian Petley) and 'Capitalism and universities' (with Michael Bailey). His latest books include Misunderstanding the Internet (2nd edition, Routledge 2016, with James Curran and Natalie Fenton) and The Contradictions of Media Power (Bloomsbury 2014).
Strategies for Media Rerform: International Perspectives Freedman, Des (D. J.) ; Obar, Jonathan, A.; Martens, Cheryl and McChesney, Robert, eds. 2016. Strategies for Media Rerform: International Perspectives. New York: Fordham University Press. ISBN 9780823271658
Media and Terrorism: Global Perspectives Freedman, Des (D. J.) and Thussu, Daya, eds. 2011. Media and Terrorism: Global Perspectives. London: Sage. ISBN 978-1-446-20158-9
Mapping Digital Media: UK case study Freedman, Des (D. J.) and Schlosberg, Justin, eds. 2011. Mapping Digital Media: UK case study. Open Society Foundations.
War and the Media: Reporting Conflict 24/7 Freedman, Des (D. J.) and Thussu, Daya Kishan, eds. 2003. War and the Media: Reporting Conflict 24/7. SAGE. ISBN 978-0761943136
Book Section
Reverse Media Policy: Challenging Empires, Resisting Power Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2022. Reverse Media Policy: Challenging Empires, Resisting Power. In: Joan-Pedro Caranana; Eliana Herrera-Huerfano and Juana Ochoa Alamnza, eds. Communicative Justice in the Pluriverse: An International Dialogue. New York: Routledge, pp. 94-108. ISBN 9781032326894
Media Reform and the Politics of HopeFenton, Natalie and Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2022. Media Reform and the Politics of Hope. In: Joanna Zylinska, ed. The Future of Media. London: Goldsmiths Press, pp. 25-41. ISBN 9781913380144
In the wake of Peterloo? A radical account of the founding of the Guardian Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2021. In the wake of Peterloo? A radical account of the founding of the Guardian. In: Des (D. J.) Freedman, ed. Capitalism's Conscience: 200 Years of the Guardian. London: Pluto Press, pp. 1-18. ISBN 9780745343341
Introduction: 'Just the Establishment'? Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2021. Introduction: 'Just the Establishment'? In: Des (D. J.) Freedman, ed. Capitalism's Conscience: 200 Years of the Guardian. London: Pluto Press, viii-xv. ISBN 9780745343341
Media Policy Failures and the Emergence of Right-Wing Populism Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2021. Media Policy Failures and the Emergence of Right-Wing Populism. In: Silvio Waisbord and Howard Tumber, eds. The Routledge Companion to Media Disinformation and Populism. London: Routledge, pp. 421-429. ISBN 9780367435769
¿Sin tropiezos? El modelo de propaganda y tiempos de crisis Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2019. ¿Sin tropiezos? El modelo de propaganda y tiempos de crisis. In: Joan Pedro Carañana and Francisco Caballero, eds. El modelo de propaganda y el control de los medios. Salamanca, Spain: Comunicacion Social, pp. 225-244. ISBN 9788417600259
Media Development and Media Reform: Time for Change Freedman, Des (D. J.) and Obar, Jonathan A.. 2019. Media Development and Media Reform: Time for Change. In: Nicholas Benequista; Susan Abbott; Paul Rothman and Winston Mano, eds. International Media Development: Historical Perspectives and New Frontiers. 23 New York: Peter Lang, pp. 220-229. ISBN 9781433151484
Media Power and the Framing of the Charlie Hebdo Attacks Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2017. Media Power and the Framing of the Charlie Hebdo Attacks. In: Gavan Titley; Des (D. J.) Freedman; Gholam Khiabany and Aurelien Mondon, eds. After Charlie Hebdo: Terror, Racism and Free Speech. London: Zed, pp. 209-222. ISBN 978-1783609390
Fake Democracy, Bad NewsFenton, Natalie and Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2017. Fake Democracy, Bad News. In: Leo Panitch and Gregory Albo, eds. Rethinking Democracy. 54 London: The Merlin Press, pp. 130-149. ISBN 9781583676714
A return to prime-time activism: Social movement theory and the media’ Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2017. A return to prime-time activism: Social movement theory and the media’. In: Victor Pickard and Guobin Yang, eds. Media Activism in the Digital Age. London: Routledge, pp. 120-133. ISBN 9781138228023
Critical perspectives on media and conflict Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2017. Critical perspectives on media and conflict. In: Piers Robinson; Philip Seib and Romy Frolich, eds. Routledge Handbook of Media, Conflict and Security. London: Routledge, pp. 68-79. ISBN 9780415712910
Divided Britain? We were already divided... Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2016. Divided Britain? We were already divided... In: Daniel Jackson; Einar Thorsen and Dominic Wring, eds. EU Referendum Analysis 2016: Media, Voteres and the Campaign. , p. 48 ISBN 9781910042090
Media Reform: An Overview Freedman, Des (D. J.) and Obar, Jonathan, A.. 2016. Media Reform: An Overview. In: Des (D. J.) Freedman; Jonathan Obar; Cheryl Martens and Robert McChesney, eds. Strategies for Media Reform: International Perspectives. New York: Fordham University Press, pp. 3-18. ISBN 9780823271658
‘The Resilience of TV and its Implications for Media Policy’ Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2015. ‘The Resilience of TV and its Implications for Media Policy’. In: Kate Okaley and Justin O'Connor, eds. The Routledge Companion to the Cultural Industries. London: Routledge, pp. 120-129. ISBN 9780415706209
The Resilience of TV and its Implications for Media Policy Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2015. The Resilience of TV and its Implications for Media Policy. In: Kate Oakley and Justin O'Connor, eds. The Routledge Companion to the Cultural Industries. London & NY: Routledge. ISBN 978-0415706209
How to Study Ownership and Regulation Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2015. How to Study Ownership and Regulation. In: Manuel Alvarado; Milly Buonanno; Herman Gray and Toby Miller, eds. The Sage Handbook of Television Studies. SAGE, pp. 3-21. ISBN 978-0761947417
How to Study Ownership and Regulation’ Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2015. How to Study Ownership and Regulation’. In: Manuel Alvarado; Toby Miller and Milly Buonanno, eds. The Sage Handbook of Television Studies. London: Sage, pp. 3-21. ISBN 9780761947417
Truth over justice: the Leveson Inquiry and the implications for democracy Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2014. Truth over justice: the Leveson Inquiry and the implications for democracy. In: Philip Dearman and Cathy Greenfield, eds. How We are Governed: Investigations of Communication, Media and Democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, pp. 53-74. ISBN 978-1443854061
Power in the Digital Economy Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2014. Power in the Digital Economy. In: Granville Williams, ed. Big Media and Internet Titans: Media Ownership: the Democratic Challenge. Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, pp. 94-105. ISBN 978-1898240075
Regulating for plurality: lessons from the UK Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2013. Regulating for plurality: lessons from the UK. In: Franck Rebillard and Marlene Loica, eds. Pluralisme de l'information et media diversity : Un état des lieux international. De Boeck (in French), pp. 97-116. ISBN 978-2804182328
The Political Economy of the 'New' News Environment Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2010. The Political Economy of the 'New' News Environment. In: Natalie Fenton, ed. New Media, Old News: Journalism and Democracy in the Digital Age. London: Sage, pp. 35-50. ISBN 978-1-847-87574-7
Policy and regulation Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2008. Policy and regulation. In: R Picard; R Towse; L Kung and R Wallis, eds. The Impact of the Internet on the Mass Media. SAGE.
The Mirror and the war on Iraq Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2007. The Mirror and the war on Iraq. In: Anita Biressi and Heather Nunn, eds. The Tabloid Culture Reader. Maidenhead: Open University Press, pp. 70-80. ISBN 978-0335219315
Internet Transformations: “old” media resilience in the “new media” revolution Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2006. Internet Transformations: “old” media resilience in the “new media” revolution. In: James P. Curran and David G. Morley, eds. Media and Cultural Theory. London and NY: Routledge, pp. 275-290. ISBN 978-0415317054
The Mirror and the War on Iraq: Profits, Politics and Product Differentiation Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2004. The Mirror and the War on Iraq: Profits, Politics and Product Differentiation. In: Anita Biressi; Heather Nunn; Jonathan Rutherford and Fran Davies, eds. MediaWar (Mediactive). 3 Barefoot Publications. ISBN 978-1905007028
Misreporting war has a long history Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2003. Misreporting war has a long history. In: David Miller, ed. TELL ME LIES: Propaganda and Media Distortion in the Attack on Iraq. Pluto Press, pp. 63-69. ISBN 978-0745322018
Raymond Williams Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2003. Raymond Williams. In: Chrsitopher May, ed. Key Thinkers for the Information Society: Vol 1. Routledge, pp. 173-190. ISBN 978-0415296731
Populism and media policy failure Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2018. Populism and media policy failure. European Journal of Communication, 33(6), pp. 604-618. ISSN 0267-3231
Media Policy Norms for a Europe in Crisis Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2016. Media Policy Norms for a Europe in Crisis. Javnost - The Public, 23(2), pp. 120-134. ISSN 1318-3222
Paradigms of Media Power Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2015. Paradigms of Media Power. Communication, Culture & Critique, 8(2), pp. 273-289. ISSN 1753-1929
Media Policy Fetishism Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2015. Media Policy Fetishism. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 32(2), pp. 96-111. ISSN 1529-5036
Leveson and the prospects for media reform Grayson, Deborah and Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2013. Leveson and the prospects for media reform. Soundings: A Journal of Politics and Culture, 53, pp. 69-81. ISSN 1362-6620
Metrics, Models and the Meaning of Media Ownership Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2012. Metrics, Models and the Meaning of Media Ownership. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 20(2), pp. 170-185. ISSN 1028-6632
Leveson and the Left Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2012. Leveson and the Left. New Left Project,
The Public Service Publisher - an Obituary Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2009. The Public Service Publisher - an Obituary. Journal of British Cinema and Television, 6(1), pp. 103-121. ISSN 1743-4521
The Public Service Publisher – an Obituary Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2009. The Public Service Publisher – an Obituary. Journal of British Cinema and Television, 6(1), pp. 103-121. ISSN 1743-4521
PERC Paper 2: Media Moguls and Elite Power Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2015. 'PERC Paper 2: Media Moguls and Elite Power'. In: Goldsmiths Political Economy Research Centre. London, United Kingdom 28th February 2015.
Who Owns the UK Media? 2023 Report Freedman, Des (D. J.) . 2023. Who Owns the UK Media? 2023 Report. Other. Goldsmiths Leverhulme Media Research Centre, London.
