Who controls the media? : A Level Citizenship Studies

A Levels are often stressful to study for, with the added pressure of which topics will come up in the final exam. This is one of the topics covered in study preparation materials for the A Level in Citizenship Studies. This article discusses the UK Media; who regulates it and the negative and positive effects it has.

It would seem that politicians have less control over the setting of the political agenda than what the media reports. TV programmes such as Big Brother and events such as the Iraq War have generated a huge amount of media coverage that it has been difficult for politicians to manipulate or control. This lack of political control is apparent in several ways.

1. Firstly, the increasing globalisation of politics, with international big business organisations and the markets having a huge influence over national economies is a clear example of the way political control and decision-making have arguably been taken away from national leaders.

2. Another more obvious example is the issue of Europe, whose increasing role in setting policy has made it one of the most controversial issues in British politics. Many political commentators feel that the growth of the European Union has seen a corresponding decline in the ability of national governments to control the political agenda. Trans-national bodies are now taking on more responsibility for decision-making, often making policies that domestic politicians cannot control.

3. Thirdly, modern politicians are increasingly aware of the power of the media, particularly the tabloid press, of setting the political agenda and influencing public opinion. Before and during his time as prime Minister (1997-2007), Tony Blair (left), made conscious efforts to woo the Sun to support his New Labour project. Politicians often find it hard to withstand a sustained media onslaught, e.g. John Major (1992-97), who struggled to compete with the press in setting the political agenda. Gordon Brown has faced similar problems over the MPs’ expenses scandal in 2009.

4. Finally, politicians can often have the media agenda seized from them by pressure groups and lobbyists. The fuel protests of 2000 and the miners’ strike of 1984 are two modern examples of extra-parliamentary bodies taking control of the political process and pursuing their own interests. In both cases, the government struggled to seize back the initiative from the ‘direct action’ tactics of the pressure/interest groups involved. The media will then report about such events and actions, often to the embarrassment of the government.

Regulation of the Media

The media in the UK, as in most democratic countries, is independently regulated in order to maintain standards and decency and quality of output. The growth of the more ‘international’ Internet media may make this more difficult and in need of review in the future. Two key organisations that fulfil this regulatory role in the United Kingdom are:

• OFCOM- Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) - this is a statutory regulatory body (i.e. it seeks to enforce standards required by law in a pro-active way), and it has regulated the communications industry in the UK since 2003. It succeeded the similar bodies of the past, most notably the ITC *(Independent Television Commission) and the IBA (Independent Broadcasting Authority).
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/

• Press Complaints Commission (PCC) - this is a non-statutory body that cats to complaints by individuals, i.e. those who have been offended by something they have read in a newspaper and who are seeking redress. It can lead to critical reports and/or legal action against newspapers or magazines that are in breach of the PCC’s code of practice on reporting information.
http://www.pcc.org.uk/


Positive role of the British mass media

1. It allows for a more pluralistic and democratic involvement of ordinary people in the news agenda and can prevent unpopular policies occurring e.g. poll tax (1990s)
2. Although the British media is generally ‘free’, there are sufficient regulations in place to control its activities
3. It exposes government wrong-doing, e.g. the MPs’ expenses scandal of 2009


Negative role of the British mass media

1. It can focus too much on certain issues that are arguably not as important or significant as others, e.g. huge coverage of TV programme Big Brother over arguably more important news issues
2. It can generate mass hysteria and irresponsible coverage of certain issues, e.g. paedophilia
3. It is an un-democratic institution in the hands of a small number of people and it can wield unprecedented and unaccountable pressure on elected governments by seeking to undermine government policy, i.e. media opposition to the poll tax in the 1990s.


This article has been put together by the distance learning organisation Start Learning who are experts in home study.
If you want to find out more about A Level Citizenship Studies or many other distance learning courses please browse their website: Start Learning

Kerrana McAvoy
Academic Director – Start Learning
Start Learning