VII. Mass Media in Great Britain

Newspapers.

In Britain more national and regional newspapers are sold per head than in any other Western country, a fact which emphasises the important role of the press in forming public and political opinion. The regional or local press is, compared to the national dailies, less significant, except in Scotland and Wales, which still have a strong national identity. But complete information can only be obtained by reading both a national and a regional paper. There are also numerous weekly, fortnightly and monthly ethnic minority publications being published by members of ethnic minorities e.g. Asians, Indians or people from the Caribbean. Newspaper reading is also part of the traditional British Sunday. National Sundays have a circulation of about 16 million copies (dailies of about 14 million).

The national newspapers, which are distributed throughout the country, are traditionally classified as either 'quality' papers or 'popular' papers. It is important to state that the striking difference between them reflects the gap between Britain's social classes.

Populars are mass-circulation tabloids, which are cheaper in price and of lower standards. The so-called yellow-press is read by lower middle classes and working class people, and also by commuters. The format is the handy tabloid (which means small-sheet). There are words in bold face type, sensational headlines and illustration with (colour) photos to arouse the reader's attention. The tabloids, which are written in an emotional, colloquial and informal style, use everyday English. There is a sensational treatment of news with emphasis on 'human interests' stories and scandals; some of them are down-market in their use of sex to boost sales. Political reporting is superficial, articles are sometimes more openly tendentious.

National dailies:

Daily Mirror

Daily Star

The Sun

National Sundays:

News of the World

Sunday Mirror

The People

As the name describes midmarket papers cover the intermediate market and are also tabloid.

National dailies:

Daily Mail

Daily Express

Today

National Sundays:

The Mail on Sunday

Sunday Express

The British press owes its international importance to seven papers with the highest standards. Those qualities are read by the educated and the élite, who normally have no problem with the format, which is mostly broadsheet. The full coverage of news is reliable and often gives additional background information. There is also a wide range of feature articles (e.g. on legal or financial affairs). Articles are mostly written by experts on the subject and are in formal, matter-of-fact, highbrow and sometimes literary style. Sunday papers include colour supplements with articles on travel, food, wine and leisure topics.

National dailies:

Financial Times

The Daily Telegraph

The Guardian

The Independent

The Times

National Sundays:

Sunday Telegraph

The Independent on Sunday

The Observer

The Sunday Times

The great majority of the national papers (70% of the circulation figures) express a conservative affiliation. This fact has frequently given rise to some criticism of the British press. The monopolistic tendencies of the British press are another area of criticism. 90% of the total circulation of the national press are controlled by only five 'Press Lords' or newspaper groups. The Australian Rupert Murdoch (News International) already owns one third of Britain's national press (The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, News of the World). His media empire also includes newspapers in Australia, the US, Hong Kong and New Zealand as well as television broadcasting companies in Britain and the United States. Until 1986 The Times always presented an unbiased and balanced view of the political scene. Since the acquisitation by Rupert Murdoch the reporting has shifted to the right, and the paper has lost its dominant position in forming and reflecting opinion at the highest levels. The Independent (founded in 1986) is a quality paper which is not committed to any political stance.

Most British newspapers are situated in the Docklands of East London. Here they take advantage of modern computerised printing systems which were introduced to keep pace with soaring costs and competition from cable television. The overseas editions are printed in Britain, France, Germany, the USA, Japan and Hungary.