Political Purpose and the Development of Mediatisation: Considering Media Representations and News Management During the Coal Dispute of 1984-5

Abstract

One major contestation of mediatisation is insufficient empirical historiography of its development, particularly in light of claims for its value in understanding political and social change and the processes of change. This article seeks to add to evidence on concept development by considering a single transformation from mediation towards mediatisation in public communication processes as an example of its phased development at the juncture of press and politics. Using a historical case framework from the British Coal Dispute of 1984-5 to consider political change agency, it explores print media representations of union activity and union leadership to examine how the Conservative government used the media as a proxy in seeking to change public attitudes toward industrial relations. Using three themes from the 1977 Stepping Stones strategy, the article discusses how media outlets were used as a vehicle for purposeful political communication.