Book description
This book traces the history of television journalism in Britain from
its austere roots in the BBC's post-war monopoly to the present-day
plethora of 24 hour channels and celebrity presenters. It asks why a
medium whose thirst for pictures, personalities and drama makes it, some
believe, intrinsically unsuitable for serious journalism should remain
in the internet age the most influential purveyor of news. Barnett
compares the two very different trajectories of television journalism in
Britain and the US, arguing that from the outset a rigorous statutory
and regulatory framework rooted in a belief about the democratic value
of the medium created and sustained a culture of serious, responsible,
accurate and interrogative journalism in British television. The book's
overarching thesis is that, despite a very different set of historical,
regulatory and institutional practices, there is a very real danger that
Britain is now heading down the same road as America. An admirably
clear an unsentimental account of British broadcast journalism's past -
and a very timely warning about its future. -- Richard Tait, Director Of
The Centre For Journalism, Cardiff University, UK Steven Barnett is
Professor of Communications at the University of Westminster who has
specialized in media policy and politics for more than 20 years.
