British Culture: The Economy and The Media

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British Culture 

The Economy and The Media 

By the end of this lesson you should be able to: 

...describe the differences between the major UK newspapers  

....explain the influence of Thatcherism on the UK economy 

- before you do this lessonup, please read chapters 15 & 16

The UK economy

• UK Global power 
• Fifth largest economy in the world (GDP) 
• Second largest economy in the EU 
• London is the world’s largest financial capital  
• Historically powerful – Empire, industrial revolution 
• 1945-1973 nationalisation, stability, low unemployment 
  

Changes in the UK economy

• 1973-1979 closures in mining, heavy industry, and manufacturing, loss of highly paid working-class jobs 
• Manual vs non-manual work (blue collar vs white collar) 
• ‘Anti-work’ attitude (p.141) 
• Equal numbers of men and women in the workplace 
• New job opportunities in service sector 

                                       (communications, education, health care) 

Uk miners’ strike (1984-1985)

Margaret Thatcher

She was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century and the first woman to hold that office.

Got nicknamed the Iron Lady. 

 Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990

The British Media

The media are free and able to report on all aspects of British life. The variety of publications reflects the full spectrum of political opinion. 

TV

• BBC began daily radio broadcasts in 1922 
• The BBC is funded by a licence fee, which all households with a TV set must pay.
• Commercial TV began in 1955 with the launch of ITV.
• Other channels: Channel 4 & 5
  

Tabloits

Newspapers have existed in Britain since 1621. But for over 300 years they were written and read by only a tiny minority of the (mostly male) elite. When, in 1896, a new newspaper was produced in large numbers and at such low prices that ordinary people could buy it on every street corner, it was an instant success. The Daily Mail, which is still running today, was the mother of the modern tabloid, and the beginning of a whole new sub-culture in the British Press. Today more than twice as many tabloids are sold compared to the so-called "quality press" titles such as The Times, or The Guardian. 

Though they have millions of devoted readers, tabloids are also widely criticised in Britain. They are accused of being sensationalist, hypocritical, prejudiced, ad of having no ethical standards in their reporting methods. 

Looking at this picture, do

LEFT

RIGHT

Who or what is the old lady of Threadneedle Street?

1. The Bank of England
2. the Exchequer
3. The Financial Times
4. The BBC broadcasting house

What is the biggest supermarket chain in Britain?

1. Morrison's
2. Tesco
3. Waitrose

Which of the following is not a well-known high street bank in Britain?

1. Boots
2. Lloyds TSB
3. NatWest

In the UK, what is a blue collar worker?

1. working class, manual labour
2. someone with a managerial position
3. someone who works in an office

Which of these is regarded a 'quality' newspaper?

1. The Daily Express
2. The Daily Mirror
3. The Daily Telegraph

Which of these is NOT regarded as a 'quality' newspaper?

1. The Guardian
2. The Sun
3. The Times

Where does BBC television get its money from?

1. advertising
2. the government
3. license fees

Which of these is not a TV soap opera?

1. The Archers
2. Coronation Street
3. Eastenders

Which political party did Margaret Thatcher belong to?

1. Labour
2. Liberal Democrats
3. Conservatives
4. SNP

What is FOOTSIE?

1. Stock Exchange
2. Supermarket
3. Commercial TV channel
4. Reality TV celebrity

What is OFWAT concerned with?

1. Food quality
2. Banks
3. Water
4. License fees

What is the Dutch equivalent of the Confederation of British Industry?

1. VNO Werkgeversorganisatie
2. Uitzendbureaus
3. ANWB
4. FNV werknemersvereniging

Portfolio Ideas

• Essay on a comparison between two newspapers in the UK and how they deal with one particular newsitem
• Mindmap of the British media 
• Theme of Margaret Thatcher in photos 
• Timeline of the Miners' Strike 
• Travel Brochure of the City in London
  

Next week

Chapter 17 Transport 

&

Chapter 18  Wefare