the Relation Between Press and Politics

By 江雪729

Outline

• Bias in newspaper about politics

1,bias history

2,influence of press on politics

3,in General Election

• freedom of information

• national security

bias history

• In the early years of press industry, newspaper was subject to a great deal of govern-mental control. It served the upper classes and the wealthier parts of the middle classes, propagating ideas, which met their needs. Political Register in 1817 has reached circulation around 40,000, which is used as a mouthpiece of Trade Union.

influence of press on politics

• Today, the national newspapers are biased towards certain political views. Usually the Daily Telegraph, the Sun, Daily Mail, and Daily Express tend to support the Conservative Party. The Mirror and News on Sunday usually support the policies of the Labor Party. Other papers such as the Guardian, Independent and Today occupy a middle ground in the political spectrum.

Jonathan Aitken, chief secretary to the treasury, was forced to resign over his role as a nonexecutive director of a company, which had sold embargoed arms to Iran

• . 'If it falls to me to start a fight to cut out the cancer of bent and twisted journalism in our country with the simple sword of truth and the trusty shield of British fair play, so be it.'

Scott Inquiry • set up in 1992 to look

into allegations that some ministers were prepared to allow innocent businesspeople to go to jail rather than reveal government collusion in illegal arms sales to Iraq

• The press revealed that the Scott inquiry into the arms-to-Iraq affair was the British government's secret decision to supply Saddam with even more weapons-related equipment

The careers of some current ministers could be at risk and even Major could be censured for his conduct as foreign secretary at that time. In mid-December, however, the Daily Telegraph reported that the inquiry would clear government ministers.

In General Election

• The Economist , was a most enthusiastic supporter of Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's monetarist policies. The magazine has published a lead article calling on its readers to back Blair, and “choose the ambiguous right-winger rather than the feeble one,” in a disparaging reference to Tory leader William Hague.

there is nothing ironic in the Economist's endorsement of New Labour, and the magazine proclaims loudly that “Tony Blair is the only credible conservative currently available.” Labour, which according to the Economist now occupies “much of the Tories own centre-right ground,” receives praise for being “more orthodox than its Tory predecessors.” Like the FT, the Economist also welcomes Labour's changes to the Bank of England.

The Times abandoned the abstentionist position it put in 1997 and has produced a full page editorial calling upon its readers to vote for Labour.

It tells its readers that the central question in this election is which of the political parties can make “permanent the achievements of the 1980s... extending reform into areas which Lady Thatcher either neglected or did not recognize”.

Freedom of Information• Journalists in Britain often find that it is difficult

to report on matters of state if the Government feels it would be against the “national interest”

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 aims to encourage greater openness .

The Official Secrets Acts covers a wide range of possible offences

National security

• The ‘D Notice’ system is a means of providing advice and guidance to the media about defence and counter-terrorist information the publication of which would be damaging to national security.

• The system is voluntary, it has no legal authority and the final responsibility for deciding whether or not to publish rests solely with the editor or publisher concerned.

Thanks for your attention!