Press and the remaking of Britain

Seaton, Jean

doi:10.4324/9781351212298-8

Cited by 11 publications

(13 citation statements)

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“…It appears that historical facts are more likely to support the second, dystopian vision. Indeed, radical critics of the neoliberal attitude claim that ‘with the extensive commercialization of the Internet in the 90s, this medium has become a state-sponsored commercial system’ (Curran and Seaton, 2010: 258). The Internet has also produced serious changes in the assessment of the economic value of products in general, and on the economic value of media content and news production in particular.…”

Section: The Homogenization and Commoditization Of Online News And Their Impact On Readers’ Willingness To Paymentioning

confidence: 99%

The culture of free: Construct explication and democratic ramifications for readers’ willingness to pay for public affairs news

2020

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The homogenization and commoditization of news have risen since the emergence of the Internet, but have sharply increased in recent years due to economic constraints on news organizations and journalists’ labor conditions. This article explores readers’ perceptions and attitudes toward the economic and informative value of online news in particular, and toward the Internet as a means of news dissemination in general. Drawing upon 50 in-depth interviews with respondents from Spain aged 18–65 years, we conceptualize the lack of readers’ inclinations to pay for digital news as a culture of free and explore its main dimensions. Specifically, the culture of free is a strong orientation to considering news as a public good that must be free of charge, rooted in customs/habits of free consumption on the Internet over decades, fueled by free competition, subtended by advertising, and a lack of interest in the news more generally. Despite the fact that the digital versions might be theoretically considered as inferior, we argue that both products (print vs online) are equally valuable (economically and informatively) and the only divergence lies in their format and thus in their price.

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Section: The Homogenization and Commoditization Of Online News And Their Impact On Readers’ Willingness To Paymentioning

confidence: 99%

The culture of free: Construct explication and democratic ramifications for readers’ willingness to pay for public affairs news

2020

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“…More specifically, the lack of systemic contestation and structural problematisation in coverage of avian influenza appears incompatible with an understanding of avian influenza as a wicked problem as discussed by Waltner-Toews (2017). Our findings, in a case deliberately selected to be favourable to journalists, lend evidence to those critics who argue that news media fail to hold power, and especially corporate power, to account (Curran, 2005; Curran and Seaton, 2002; Fenton, 2018; Freedman, 2014). In this sense, our findings appear consistent with studies that argue that mainstream public discourses – and news media discourses in particular – often tend to reinforce the power of animal production industries and the continued emphasis on meat production, thus perpetuating its enacted violences (Almiron and Zoppeddu, 2015; Broad, 2016; Freeman, 2009; Lahsen, 2017).…”

Section: Discussion: Newspaper Coverage About Avian Flu As a Wicked P...mentioning

confidence: 62%

“…These scholars emphasise the effect of news media’s support of public debate when topics are contested in producing social empathy (Schudson, 2008). While empirical evidence suggests that news media have not always met these normative expectations (Curran, 2005; Curran and Seaton, 2002; Fenton, 2010b; Freedman, 2014; Schudson, 2005), they remain benchmarks of good journalism (Vos and Wolfgang, 2018) and, if nothing else, valuably serve as standards against which to assess current practices (Fenton, 2010a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Something wicked this way comes: How well did UK newspapers support the public debate of Avian Influenza as a wicked problem?

Garnier¹,

Tamás²,

Wessel

et al. 2020

Journalism

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The news media in general, and newspapers in particular, are supposed to provide a forum for public debate. These expectations of news media take on a heightened relevance in the case of wicked problems precisely because of the irreducible complexity, the inherent tensions, and the multiplicity of stakeholders and conflicting interests involved in such issues. Both their material complexity and lack of consensus make wicked problems difficult to address. This study uses British newspaper coverage of the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak (2003–2008) to determine if under near ideal conditions, newspaper coverage in the UK is compatible with the expectation that newspapers provide a forum that supports constructive societal debate of a complex, wicked problem. We chose to work with avian influenza because it was extensively covered, evidence rich, and not captive to clear partisan constructions. Our frame analysis examined 254 relevant newspaper articles published in seven national circulation outlets between 2003 and 2008. Newspaper coverage did reflect multiple problem definitions and causal interpretations of avian influenza, which is consistent with the expectation that the media inform and open up public debate. Coverage did not, however, link avian flu to other related issues, engage in systemic contestation or problematise structure. Finally, we found that, despite heterogeneous problem definitions, there was near consensus on a single technical solution. This coverage does not appear to support the open, constructive and informed public debate whose promise justifies the privileges given to news media.

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“…128−30). Dissenting journalists were weeded out from many outlets (Curran & Seaton, 2018, p. 121). Increased patronage of partisan media owners was further supported through direct intervention for preferred media appointments where possible; Philo (1995, p. 2005) reports that Conservative sympathies were required for BBC governorship roles.…”

Section: Press Management and The Thatcher Administrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This paper therefore contributes to historical empiricism of mediatisation in two ways, firstly, choosing a case from the Thatcher era, which sits in the transition period between the second and third age of political communication for Western democracies as identified by Blumler and Kavanagh (1999, p. 213). During this time, communication media were proliferating, as Britain experienced huge expansion in its media industry (Curran & Seaton, 2018, p. 350). Print journalism production took advantage of technologies, with contested moves from Fleet Street to Wapping undertaken in 1986 (Eldridge et al, 1997, p. 37).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Myers

2023

Journal of Communication Inquiry

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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.

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Press and the remaking of Britain

Cited by 11 publications

References 0 publications

The culture of free: Construct explication and democratic ramifications for readers’ willingness to pay for public affairs news

The culture of free: Construct explication and democratic ramifications for readers’ willingness to pay for public affairs news

Something wicked this way comes: How well did UK newspapers support the public debate of Avian Influenza as a wicked problem?

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

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