52.2% of our "free press" is controlled by 2 billionaires and 77.8% by 6 billionaires.

Lord Justice Leveson referred in his report to the privileged position that the press hold in our public debate. He said that they "wield a powerful megaphone". Unsurprisingly, the press have used their powerful megaphone in the service of the interests of the men who are their effective owners. 

It matters for those concerned with our democracy that 52.2% of our "free press" is controlled by just two billionaires and 77.8% is controlled by six billionaires. 

The freedom the press enjoys is very much freedom for the rich and powerful. As Isaiah Berlin warned, liberty for the wolves means death to the lambs. Some regulation of the press is needed in order to protect the interests of those that are not rich and powerful.

The Press Gazette has published the results of the National Readership Survey. I have used these results - for both print and online - to draw up tables with readerships and information about owners and political orientation.

UK press weekly print and on-line readership (for papers over 1 million) in March 2013

Newspaper(s)	Combined print and online readership (In brackets print alone)	Effective owner/s	Information about effective owner/s	Political orientation of newspaper/s	% of  combined print and online (In brackets print alone)
The Sun/The Sun on Sunday	13,674,000 (12,765,000)	Rupert Murdoch	Billionaire. Lives in US. Alleged tax avoider.	Supported Tories in 2010	18.6% (20.7%)
The Mail/ Mail on Sunday	12,188,000 (9,534,000)	Lord Rothermere	Billionaire. Lives in France. Non-domiciled for UK tax	Supported Tories in 2010	16.5% (15.5%)
Metro	7,986,000 (7,597,000)	Lord Rothermere	Billionaire. Lives in France. Non-domiciled for UK tax	Supported Tories in 2010	10.8% (12.3%)
Mirror/Sunday Mirror/ People	7,874,000 (7,063,000)	Trinity Mirror plc	Public Limited Company	Supported Labour in 2010	10.7% (11.4%)
The Guardian/The Observer	5,342,000 (2,898,000)	Scott Trust Ltd	A company with purpose “to secure  Guardian’s independence”	Supported Lib Dems in 2010	7.3% (4.7%)
Telegraph/ Sunday Telegraph	4,998,000 (3,128,000)	David and Frederick Barclay	Billionaires. Live on private island near Sark. Alleged tax avoiders.	Supported Tories in 2010	6.8% (5.1%)
The Times/ Sunday Times	4,608,000 (4,418,000)	Rupert Murdoch	Billionaire. Lives in US. Alleged tax avoider.	Supported Tories in 2010	6.3% (7.2%)
The Independent/ i/Independent on Sunday	4,002,000 (2,770,000)	Alexander (father)and Evgeny (son) Lebedev	Alexander is a billionaire, ex-KGB and lives in Russia. Evgeny lives in the UK	Supported anti-Tory tactical voting in 2010	5.4% (4.5%)
London Evening Standard	3,850,000 (3,443,000)	Alexander and Evgeny Lebedev	Alexander is billionaire, ex-KGB and lives in Russia. Evgeny lives in UK	Supported Tories in 2010	5.2% (5.6%)
Daily Express/Sunday Express	3,118,000 (2,756,000)	Richard Desmond	Billionaire pornographer. Alleged tax avoider.	Supported Tories in 2010	4.2% (4.5%)
Daily Star/Daily Star Sunday	2,972,000 (2,873,000)	Richard Desmond	Billionaire pornographer. Alleged tax avoider.	Supported Tories in 2010	4.0% (4.7%)
Daily Record/ Sunday Mail	1,719,000 (1,527,000)	Trinity Mirror plc	Public limited company	Supported Labour in 2010	2.3% (2.5%)
Financial Times	1,339,000    (928,000)	Pearson plc	Public limited company	Supported Tories in 2010	1.8% (1.5%)
TOTALS	73,670,000 (61,700,000)

Readership of UK press (for papers over 1 million) in March 2013 by effective owners

Effective owner(s)	%  of combined print and online (In brackets print alone)
Lord Rothermere	27.3       (27.8)
Rupert Murdoch	24.9       (27.9)
Trinity Mirror plc	13.0       (13.9)
Alexander and Evgeny Lebedev	10.6       (10.1)
Richard Desmond	8.2        (9.2)
Scott Trust	7.3       (4.7)
David and Frederick Barclay	6.8       (5.1)
Pearson plc	1.8       (1.5)