Our news is broken

And we have a plan to fix it.

I’m back from a two-week family holiday in France, and it was also a partial two-week break from the news. As a desk-based news junkie, I’m constantly consuming news via radio and online, so restricting my news diet gave me a new perspective on how ordinary people consume news.

August is generally a quiet news month, with the doors of the Senedd and Westminster closed until September. Proof of which was me bumping into the shadow Home Secretary James Cleverley on an evening stroll around La Flotte harbour. 

Without the usual parliamentary chatter, news providers become more reliant on generating actual news. So, what did I hear and see?

Immigration, immigration, the war in Ukraine, Gaza, Trump and immigration.

If an alien landed on Earth today, it would be a huge news story, not just because it would prove the existence of extraterrestrial life, as a literal alien, it would face the wrath of the UK and US public, who apparently see immigration as an increasing problem.

Immigration is constantly framed as a problem, not just by the usual suspects on the right, but also, more concerningly, the BBC.

The BBC remains, by far, the most influential news outlet in the UK, as confirmed by Ofcom’s annual research into news consumption habits.

Much of the news about immigration I accessed over the last two weeks focused on the Epping “asylum” hotel and the ensuing protests. Much of the BBC’s output involves reporting on events that have occurred; however, reporting without sufficient context can skew people’s perspectives on real life. On Saturday, the BBC were reporting on predicted trouble at anti-immigration protests being held across the UK, and their online coverage of Lucy Connolly’s interview in the Telegraph drew a great deal of ire from commentators. Connolly pleaded guilty to inciting racial hatred after calling on people to set fire to hotels housing immigrants on X following the tragic murder of three young girls in Southport, which had been falsely attributed to an asylum seeker who had arrived by small boat. In the Telegraph piece, she claimed to have been a “political prisoner”.

The BBC do share content that attempts to provide context and balance in their coverage, but in the two examples shown above, “How many people cross the Channel in small boats?” and “Migration: How many people come to work and study in the UK?” they fail to convey relevant information in an easy to understand and accessible manner.

The fact that immigration is primarily framed as a problem or issue has clearly impacted the public’s views. In the past two weeks, research by YouGov has revealed that 47% of the UK public believe that immigration is primarily illegal, despite the actual statistics showing that not to be the case, and by some margin. Approximately 77% of non-EU immigrants came to the UK to study, while around 20% sought asylum or arrived on humanitarian grounds. This percentage has increased despite the numbers remaining relatively steady; the increase is due to a decline in the number of people coming here to work and study.

According to the August 2025 Ipsos Issues Index, a staggering 48% of the population sees immigration as the biggest issue of the day 15% ahead of the economy, and 26% ahead of the NHS. 31% of respondents feel that their local area is housing more than its fair share of asylum seekers; this figure doubles to 61% when those who voted Reform at the last election are questioned.

Granted, these are national polls, and little research has been conducted at a Wales level, but is the constant reporting on immigration and its framing as a problem having an impact here?

Reform is riding high in the polls in Wales and, alongside Plaid Cymru, has been leading in the political popularity contest. With a policy platform built primarily on eliminating immigration, blaming it for the pressures on public services and housing, how does this stack up in Wales?

There are a few byelections on the horizon in Wales. In the Vale of Glamorgan, there are two: a town council election in Cowbridge and a County Council election in Barry. In Caerffili a Senedd byelection is to be contested following the untimely death of Dr Hefin David, at the age of 47, the Labour MS for the constituency.

The Vale of Glamorgan is home to approximately 132,000 residents, of these seventeen, yes 17 – SEVENTEEN – are asylum seekers being housed by the local authority. The impact these seventeen individuals have on local services and housing availability is statistically negligible.

The situation in Caerffili is similar, with 176,000 residents, seventy-seven are asylum seekers being housed by the local authority. Caerffili is one of the few Welsh boroughs that have seen its population fall during the previous decade. In 2011, it had 178,000 residents, so any issue with housing availability there certainly has nothing to do with immigration.

Around 20% of staff in the UK’s health and social care sector have come from overseas; without these individuals, the health and social care sectors in Wales could well collapse.

How immigration is reported is essential; without having all the facts, how can Welsh citizens be expected to make informed decisions at the ballot box?

There’s a genuine need to change how news is delivered today. There is a need not only to inform but to educate, a need to distribute news and information in accessible formats across as wide a range of platforms as possible.

There’s also a need to change how news companies are run, prioritising transparency and honesty over profit.

That’s why Talking Wales exists, a cooperatively owned public interest news service for Wales, operating across radio, YouTube, social media, email newsletters, in-person events, print and the internet.

We’re currently working on a series of pieces examining two of the most deprived council wards in Wales, according to the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation. Caerau, located above Maesteg and Tylorstown in the Rhondda Cynon Taf area, is another of these wards. Both were in the top five of the 2019 WIMD, and both are 98% White, of Welsh/British descent.

We’ll be speaking to residents, community leaders and those working to support both communities to find out why these places have been left behind and what can be done to improve their communities and individual prospects.

We’re seeking the absolute truth about why people are unable to access public services, find adequate housing, and secure employment opportunities. We will be sharing our findings in a range of formats across multiple platforms.

If you’d like to learn more about Talking Wales and get involved, visit https://talking.wales

Diolch

Huw Marshall

Founder – Talking Wales