The Media in Britain

Flashcards about the media in Britain.

Print media

• National vs. regional

• Quality vs. tabloids / populars

• Different newspapers

Broadcasting media

• Radio and television

• Public vs. independent

Print Media History (19th Century)

Print media grew a lot after 1870 due to more education and better printing. ‘New Journalism’ started with popular, cheap newspapers like The Daily Mail (1896). These papers had lots of ads and strong nationalist(Jingoistic), imperialist views.

Jingoistic

Extremely nationalist

Daily Mail

Imperialist newspaper: for lower middle class

Daily Mirror

Pro-Labour newspapers ; for working class, supportive of Labour

Press Barons

Competition between press owners

e.g. Alfred Harmsworth and Arthur Pearson newspaper competition: Daily Mirror and Daily Herald (1911, later renamed Sun) initially both pro-Labour

Political Bias

Conservative leaning newspapers

Growth of newspaper market in

early 20th c.:

Metro

Most popular freesheet

Oligopoly

A market with only a few big companies.

National Press – ‘Popular’ vs. ‘Quality’

• Quality (traditionally broadsheet, today: mostly published in ‘compact’ format) in-depth news and analysis, educated reader, more words

e.g. The Times

• Popular (tabloid) superficial and sensationalist, large headlines, many pictures, sex and scandal dominate

e.g. Sun

National Newspapers

• The Times & The Sunday Times: Quality papers, conservative roots, owned by Rupert Murdoch.

• The Guardian: Quality, left-leaning, compact format.

• The Independent: Quality, leftish, online-only since 2016.

• The ‘I’: Short, liberal, for young or busy readers.

• Financial Times: Focus on finance and economy.

• The Sun: Popular tabloid, celebrity news, owned by Murdoch.

• Daily Mirror: Popular, pro-Labour.

• Daily Mail: Conservative, mid-market.

• Daily Telegraph: Conservative, quality broadsheet.

Broadsheet

In-depth news and analysis

The Guardian

Compact sized newspaper

Daily Telegraph

Conservative leaning paper

The Independent

Founded in 1986, online only

The Sun

Popular daily with sex scandals

Freesheet

Free newspaper

The Broadcasting Media in the UK

• BBC started in 1922, funded by licence fees, no ads, public service broadcaster.

• BBC World Service began in 1932, key during WWII.

• TV started in 1936; 1953 Coronation was a big TV event.

• BBC monopoly ended in 1954/5 with Independent Television Authority and ads.

• More TV news and shows from 1950s–90s; Ofcom now regulates TV quality.

BBC

The BBC is a public service broadcaster paid for by a licence fee. Called “Auntie” or “the Beeb,” it aims to be politically neutral. It includes channels like BBC 1, 2, 3, 4, and the World Service. Recent changes include more independent programs and new funding ideas.

John Reith

Monopoly in broadcasting

Independent Television Authority

Launched in 1955

Ofcom

Controls TV quality

Auntie/The Beeb

Public service broadcaster

Trends in British Television

• 1955–70: Realism — documentaries & shows about everyday life (e.g. Panorama, Coronation Street)

• 1960–70: Fantasy dramas & spy shows (e.g. The Avengers, Dr Who)

• 1965–70: Sitcoms’ golden age (e.g. Dad’s Army, Fawlty Towers)

• 1970–90: Nostalgia & crime series (e.g. Brideshead Revisited, Inspector Morse)

• 1980s: Political comedy (e.g. Yes, Minister)

• 1990s: Docusoaps, costume dramas, and comedies

• 21st century: Popular cooking and antiques shows (e.g. The Great British Bake Off, Antiques Road Show)

Realism TV

Factual programs on everyday life 1955–70

Fantasy TV

Exotic locations spying 1960–70

Sitcoms

Situational comedies 1965–70

1990's TV

Every day life docusoaps

21st Century TV

Cooking and antique TV

Coronation Street

Working class TV soap

Dad's Army

soap opera set in WWII

Fawlty tower

Hotel sitcom

Yes Minister

Political comedy

The Archers

The longest radio soap opera

Desert Island Discs

VIP interviews

Theatre in the UK;

Mostly commercial theatre:

Most famous theatres:

Longest-running play:

‘Typically British’:

Mostly commercial theatre (but: Royal National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Opera House are publicly funded)

Most famous theatres: in the West End

Longest-running play: A. Christie, The Mousetrap(since 1952)

‘Typically British’: Christmas Pantomime (family entertainment, based on fairy-tales, the Dame as common character)