Mass Media in Great Britain

Mass Media in Great Britain
 
1. Newspapers
 
- Freedom of Press: the press is allowed to say what it likes without any interference by the
government
 

- trend towards concentration of newspaper ownership began in the early 1900s
- Monopolies and Mergers Act (1965): government is allowed to intervene if a paper is to be transferred to an owner whose papers have a daily circulation of 500,000 or more
- a national industry
- former centre: Fleet Street, London, now Docklands
- very high circulations
- strong influence on public opinion
- mainly financed by advertising
- in the hands of a few big commercial enterprises
- Censorship:
1) no control or censorship by state
2) letter to the editor as the most common form to express one's opinion about an article
3) Press Council:
* set up of equal number of professionals Ooumalists) and non professional members
* functions:
prevention of unreasonable behaviour and untruthful reporting defence of the freedom of the press

maintenance of certain professional standards
deal with complaints against newspapers and periodicals
- Dailys and Periodicals

1) Quality papers (The Times, The Guardian)

* appeal to an educated readership
* national and international news
* great variety of topics of general interest

2) Popular papers (Today, Daily Mirror, The Sun)
appeal to everyday people
sensational news
informal language
3) Regional Papers (The Scotsrnan; Eastbourne Herald)
4) Great number of weekly papers and monthly periodicals (The Weekly Telegraph)
 
 

II. Television / Radio
Television begun in 1936 and became really popular after 1952 (coronation of QEII)

1) British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

- runs 5 national radio stations (Radio I - 5), 2 TV networks (BBC 1, BBC2)
- offers a wide range of programmes
- financed by the sale of TV licences, programmes and publications
- must be politically neutral and commercially independent.
- only responsible to Parliament

2) Independent Broadcasting Authority (1]3A)

- runs about 40 local radio stations, 2 TV channels, operates 15 regional TV stations - has to show impartiality in controverdal matters
- has to be accurate in its news coverage
- has to observe certain standards with regard violence
 

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