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 <circulation figures>

- 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