Politics and the Mass Media in Britain

In this book, Ralph Negrine examines the political role of the mass media in contemporary Britain. Covering the main features of the press and television, it develops an analysis of their relationships with "politics" and political and social institutions, using extensive examples and case studies. Politics and the Mass Media in Britaindeals with the major issues in media studies--competition, ownership, control, autonomy, impact--from broad political perspectives, thus avoiding a simplistic, ahistorical overview of the topic. The book also examines practices within television and print journalism, and the relationship between news, politics, and political parties. Negrine discusses the issues of "impact" and "influence", as well as raising fundamental questions about the extent to which ideas about "freedom of the press" and "responsibility" have any real value in the present day.

Ralph Negrine is Lecturer at the Centre for Mass Communication Research, University of Leicester.