Referat Mass Media in Great Britain

_{Mass Media in Great Britain}

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 1 0 s

- Monopolies and Mergers Act 9 5): government is allowed to intervene if a paper is to be transferred to an owner whose papers have a daily circulation of 5 0 00 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:

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

Regional Papers (The Scotsrnan; Eastbourne Herald)

4) Great number of weekly papers and monthly periodicals (The Weekly Telegraph)

II. Television / Radio

Television begun in 6 and became really popular after 2 (coronation of QEII)

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

- runs 5 national radio stations (Radio I - , 2 TV networks (BBC 1, BBC )

- 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

Independent Broadcasting Authority (1 3A)

- runs about 0 local radio stations, 2 TV channels, operates 5 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