It’s all too easy to criticise the so-called ‘legacy media’ but generally they are based on professional journalism. We need to support them, they are the only bulwark against the misinformation and divisive social media

This is a really good blog indicating how news reporting can impact cohesion by turning issues into divisive narratives. Controlling social media is not the full answer, we need to support proper journalism too ⁦Dr Rob Watson⁩ decentered.co.uk/reframing-news…

Let’s hope for some innovative and practical schemes, but most of all we need educational tools that help people to know the difference between fact and fiction for themselves. Schools in particular need to build resilience of their students

Great contribution Andrew Copson . Segregated schools mean parental networks are also segregated and so too are the many community activities that schools feed into

This is great news, exactly what’s needed and a performance framework will ensure future standards are high. In the meantime, local areas should be undertaking tension monitoring with their partners to ensure they know what’s happening on the ground. Support and join

The role of the FE sector in relation to cohesion is rarely considered so good to be part of this opportunity to help develop sector leading practice Belong - The Cohesion and Integration Network

This raises such a serious point, TV generally offers responsible factual news and information, we need a strategy to support it (and mainstream press). If not, we will all be at the mercy of unchecked information already impacting cohesion and democracy bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

Ted Cantle CBE Well put Ted Cantle CBE. We need a government that can build our media back from the middle, so we have genuinely local, accountable and embedded media at the heart of our communities. The answer to rapacious global media, is media that is deeply rooted in our daily lives!

Cohesion is about doing things differently, not doing more things. Just one idea - Local Food Hubs Will Promote Cohesion, Sustainability and Growth – Community Cohesion and Intercultural Relations | Professor Ted Cantle tedcantle.co.uk/local-food-hub…

Strangers in our own country? New research finds 50% of Brits feel disconnected and 44% sometimes feel like strangers - but it's a mistake to tie that just to immigration, with the cost of living, social media, decline of town centres & the legacy of covid big drivers.

This is beginning to sound like a cry for help from 16-24 year olds

There are two responses, first to control content and restrict access, and second to build resilience so that people can themselves distinguish fact from fiction and limit personal impact. Some controls/restrictions are emerging but we now need a national programme of resilience

Government will need to pay particular attention to faith schools who surprisingly and contrary to their ethos, actually use their selective admissions to exclude special needs pupils thetimes.com/article/73b8ca…

Great reminder from Robert Putnam that social capital is very important to all communities- and especially to cohesion theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

How David Attenborough’s Ocean exposed ‘violent’ bottom trawlers. New controls are clearly needed thetimes.com/article/934b5d…

This is a good discussion and the ‘island of strangers’ is only partly about migration. The reduction of social capital - due to deindustrialisation, loss of community ties, fracturing of local organisations etc - means both within communities (bonding) and between (bridging)

A reminder, if needed, that prejudice and hatred is in us all and not confined to the majority/minority division. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

Democracy is protected by independent media.Yet, professional journalism is in decline, especially at local level, as unaccountable social media grows. We cannot just try to control social media, we also need to support proper journalistic scrutiny nottinghampost.com/news/news-opin…

Community consumption of balanced, accurate and relevant information is a key element in the mortar that helps cement cohesion. Ted Cantle CBE