What is the role of the media in UK politics?
The UK has a strong, independent media history with different newspaper titles, television and radio channels. The media鈥檚 role is to inform the public on important local, national and international issues that affect the people of Scotland and the UK.
Print media in the UK
Many people in the UK continue to get their political news from newspapers. Thousands are sold every day and many people read a newspaper online. In the UK the most widely read 鈥榩opular鈥 newspapers are The Sun and The Daily Mail. The most widely read 鈥榪uality鈥 newspapers are The Daily Telegraph and The Times.
Newspapers don鈥檛 have to be balanced. As long as the information is accurate, the newspaper can print what they like. This means that different newspapers can report the same story in different ways. They can do this by choosing different stories, pictures and headline.
During elections, newspapers are often very clear about which political party they are supporting and urge their readers to vote for. This does not mean that all voters are persuaded by the newspaper they read.
Broadcast media in the UK
Television (and radio) political news reporting is different from newspapers as the law requires them to be fair and balanced. Television companies are expected to report the facts and to be balanced in their analysis. Representatives from different political parties are each expected to be allowed to give their views on important issues. In recent years, a number of TV debates have been broadcast involving the leaders of different parties.
Internet and social media
More people are using the internet to source information, especially social media.
Unlike television and radio channels, the internet allows almost anyone to post almost anything they choose. This means that some information may not be accurate. However, the internet does allow for people to have almost unlimited access to information, and this means that people can now be more informed.
However, the internet does allow people almost unlimited access to information which means people can be better informed than ever before.
For political parties in Scotland and the UK, the internet offers the chance to connect directly with voters and to get their opinions across.