THE MEDIA(from British Civilization An introduction by John Oakland Fifth

edition published in 2002 by outled!e"

THE TERM MEDIA MAY INCLUDE any communication system by which eo !e a"e in#o"me$% e$ucate$ o" ente"taine$& In '"itain it (ene"a!!y "e#e"s to the "int in$ust"ies (the "ess o" news a e"s an$ ma(a)ines* an$ b"oa$castin( (te""est"ia! o" ea"th+base$ te!e,ision% cab!e an$ sate!!ite te!e,ision% "a$io an$ ,i$eo*& These systems o,e"!a to some e-tent with each othe" an$ with boo.s% #i!m an$ the Inte"net/ a"e "o#itab!e businesses/ an$ a"e tie$ to a$,e"tisin(% s onso"shi % comme"ce an$ in$ust"y& The "int me$ia The "int me$ia (news a e"s an$ ma(a)ines* be(an to $e,e!o in the ei(hteenth centu"y& Initia!!y% a wi$e ci"cu!ation was hin$e"e$ by t"ans o"tation an$ $ist"ibution "ob!ems% i!!ite"acy an$ (o,e"nment !icensin( o" censo"shi "est"ictions& 'ut% o,e" the !ast two hun$"e$ yea"s% an e- an$e$ e$ucationa! system% abo!ition o# (o,e"nment cont"o!% new "int in,entions an$ '"itains sma!! a"ea ha,e e!iminate$ these $i##icu!ties an$ c"eate$ a!!e(e$!y #"ee "int me$ia& Nationa! news a e"s Nationa! news a e"s a"e those which a"e most!y ub!ishe$ #"om Lon$on (with some "e(iona! ,e"sions* an$ a"e a,ai!ab!e in a!! a"ts o# '"itain on the same $ay% inc!u$in( 0un$ays& Many a"e $e!i,e"e$ $i"ect to the home #"om !oca! newsa(ents by newsboys an$ (i"!s& The (oo$ inte"na! $ist"ibution systems o# a com act count"y enab!e$ a nationa! "ess to $e,e!o % an$ Inte"net on!ine co ies now o##e" u $ate$ an$ imme$iate a,ai!abi!ity& The #i"st '"itish news a e"s with a !imite$ nationa! ci"cu!ation a ea"e$ in the ea"!y ei(hteenth centu"y an$ we"e #o!!owe$ by othe"s% such as The Times (1234*% the 5bse",e" (1261* an$ the 0un$ay Times (1377*& 'ut most we"e so+ca!!e$ 8ua!ity a e"s% cate"in( #o" a "e!ati,e!y sma!!% e$ucate$ ma".et& The nationa! "ess in '"itain to$ay consists o# ten $ai!y mo"nin( a e"s an$ nine 0un$ay a e"s& It is in e##ect a Lon$on "ess% because most nationa! news a e"s ha,e thei" bases an$ "intin( #aci!ities in the ca ita!% a!thou(h e$itions o# some nationa!s a"e now ub!ishe$ outsi$e Lon$on% in Eu"o e an$ the U0A& Most o# them use$ to be !ocate$ in 9!eet 0t"eet in cent"a! Lon$on& 'ut a!! ha,e now !e#t the st"eet an$ mo,e$ to othe" a"ts o# the ca ita! Nationa! a e"s a"e usua!!y te"me$ 8ua!ity o" o u!a" $e en$in( on thei" $i##e"ences in content an$ #o"mat (tab!oi$ o" b"oa$sheet*& The 8ua!ities (such as The Times* a"e b"oa$sheets (!a"(esheet*% "e o"t nationa! an$ inte"nationa! news in $e th an$ ana!yse cu""ent e,ents an$ the a"ts in e$ito"ia!s an$ a"tic!es& The o u!a"s (such as the 0un* a"e most!y tab!oi$ (sma!!+sheet*% $ea! with "e!ati,e!y #ew ha"$ news sto"ies% ten$ to be su e"#icia! in thei" t"eatment o# e,ents an$ much o# thei" mate"ia! is sensationa!i)e$ an$ t"i,ia!i)e$& 0a!es o# o u!a" a e"s on wee.$ays an$ 0un$ays #a" e-cee$ those o# the 8ua!ities&

Re(iona! news a e"s 0ome 1%:;; "e(iona! news a e"s a"e ub!ishe$ in towns an$ cities th"ou(hout '"itain& They contain a mi-tu"e o# !oca! an$ nationa! news/ a"e su o"te$ #inancia!!y by "e(iona! a$,e"tisin(/ an$ may be $ai!y mo"nin( o" e,enin( a e"s% 0un$ays o" wee.!y& 0ome nine out o# ten a$u!ts "ea$ a "e(iona! o" !oca! a e" e,e"y wee. an$ 24 e" cent o# !oca! an$ "e(iona! news a e"s a!so o e"ate an Inte"net website& '"itains ethnic communities a!so "o$uce thei" own news a e"s an$ ma(a)ines% which a"e inc"easin( in numbe"s% a"e a,ai!ab!e nationa!!y in the !a"(e" cities an$ a"e im "o,in( in 8ua!ity& The"e is a wi$e "an(e o# ub!ications #o" <ewish% Asian% A#"o+Ca"ibbean% Chinese an$ A"abic "ea$e"s% ub!ishe$ on a $ai!y o" (mo"e common!y* e"io$ic basis& The b"oa$castin( me$ia The ''C The ''C is base$ at '"oa$castin( House in Lon$on% but has stations th"ou(hout the count"y% which "o,i$e "e(iona! netwo".s #o" "a$io an$ te!e,ision& It was c"eate$ by Roya! Cha"te" an$ has a boa"$ o# (o,e"no"s who a"e "es onsib!e #o" su e",isin( its "o("ammes an$ thei" suitabi!ity& They a"e a ointe$ by the C"own on the a$,ice o# (o,e"nment ministe"s an$ a"e su ose$ to constitute an in$e en$ent e!ement in the o"(ani)ation o# the ''C& Dai!y o e"ations a"e cont"o!!e$ by the Di"ecto"+=ene"a!% chosen by the boa"$ o# (o,e"no"s& The ''C is #inance$ by a ("ant #"om >a"!iament% which comes #"om the sa!e o# te!e,ision !icences (?1&@ bi!!ion e" yea"*& These a"e ayab!e by anyone who owns a te!e,ision set an$ a"e "e!ati,e!y chea in inte"nationa! te"ms (?1;A annua!!y #o" a co!ou" set*& The ''C a!so (ene"ates consi$e"ab!e income #"om se!!in( its "o("ammes ab"oa$ an$ #"om the sa!e o# a "o("amme (ui$e (Ra$io Times*% boo.s% ma(a)ines an$ ,i$eos& The ''Cs e-te"na! se",ices% which consist o# "a$io b"oa$casts in En(!ish (the Bo"!$ 0e",ice* an$ A7 othe" !an(ua(es ab"oa$% we"e #oun$e$ in 16:7 an$ a"e #un$e$ by the 9o"ei(n 5##ice& These ha,e a "e utation #o" obCecti,e news "e o"tin( an$ "o("ammes& The ''C now has two te!e,ision channe!s (''C1 an$ ''C7*& ''C1 is a mass+a ea! channe! with an au$ience sha"e o# 73 e" cent& Its "o("ammes consist o# news% !ays an$ $"ama se"ies% come$y% 8ui) shows% ,a"iety e"#o"mances% s o"t an$ $ocumenta"ies& ''C7% with an au$ience sha"e o# 11 e" cent% ten$s to show mo"e se"ious items such as news ana!ysis an$ $iscussion% $ocumenta"ies% a$a tations o# no,e!s into !ays an$ se"ies% o e"as% conce"ts an$ some s o"t& It is a!so "o,i$es 5 en Uni,e"sity cou"ses& ''C Ra$io e"#o"ms an im o"tant se",ice% a!thou(h some o# its au$iences ha,e $ec!ine$ "ecent!y& The"e a"e #i,e nationa! channe!s (to be inc"ease$ by #i,e new $i(ita! channe!s*/ :6 !oca! stations se",in( many $ist"icts in En(!an$/ an$ "e(iona! an$ community se",ices in 0cot!an$% Ba!es an$ No"the"n I"e!an$& ITD (with :; e" cent o# au$ience sha"e* is the o!$est in$e en$ent

channe! an$ once seeme$ on!y to "o,i$e o u!a" "o("ammes o# a !i(htente"tainment an$ sometimes t"i,ia! ty e& 'ut its 8ua!ity has im "o,e$ an$ it now has a hi(h stan$a"$ o# news "e o"ts% $"ama "o$uctions an$ $ocumenta"ies&