Chapter 10
Scrutinising Politics and the Media
In This Chapter
Exploring the relationship between politics and the media
Looking at national newspapers’ coverage
Breaking the mould with 24-hour TV news
Britain is a country of over 60 million people, with the seventh-largest economy in the world, but it’s a small place compared to China, the US, Russia and even France. You can fly from one end of the country to another in an hour. Although the UK is a diverse society with large numbers of immigrants, as well as strong independent Celtic cultures in Scotland, Ireland and Wales, in terms of media it’s remarkably concentrated, with the BBC and the national newspapers able to command large numbers of viewers and readers across the length and breadth of the country.
The UK has probably the strongest cross-section of national newspapers in the world, still read by millions each day – though their power and reach are waning. In addition, the popular national broadcaster – the BBC – is a great news-gathering operation, employing thousands of journalists.
The strong national coverage that the BBC and newspapers offer means that when they report political events and interview politicians, ...
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