If I could give a lecture series...

As I’ve mentioned before, I have an interest in the history of the media. This is just as well, as I’m doing an MA in the History of Irish Media and Journalism, and I’ve written a thesis on the development of commercial television in the United Kingdom! I’ve also thought about becoming a lecturer, a career I’ve long had an interest in. Based on my own interests, I know I’d like to give lectures on twentieth century history, especially post-war, in politics or the media.

One of the tasks given to us by Dr. Cosgrave was to draw up a course outline for a module we’d like to teach. I would like to give a lecture series on the development of broadcast media in the United Kingdom from 1939 to 1997. This is a topic which isn’t really covered in Ireland, and only by a few universities to any level in the UK itself.

Aside from the topic being one I’m interested in, I should explain my choice of dates. 1939 saw the start of World War II and the coming of age of radio as a medium which delivered news more up-to-date than any newspaper could hope to achieve, leading to broadcasting supplanting the press as the main means of getting the latest news, with entertainment also providing a means of maintaining and improving morale. 1997 saw the fall of the Conservatives from power, having held it for the previous eighteen years, and thirty-five or the previous forty-six. During that time, the party introduced numerous pieces of legislation regarding the media, and so their fall from power and the start of a long Labour government is a natural end point.

Module: Broadcast Media in the United Kingdom, 1939-1997.

Module Objective: Investigating the development of sound and visual broadcasting in the United Kingdom from the Second World War to the fall of John Major’s Conservative government.

Module Content: The development of radio, and later television, as the dominant medium in British life as the twentieth century progressed. The introduction of commercial television as a competitor to the BBC will be featured, including the public debate over the role of the media; national and regional opt-outs and their contribution to making the media ‘more local’, especially on radio; the attempts at regulating broadcasting, including the introduction of further competitors, through the Broadcasting Acts under Conservative governments.

Learning outcomes:

-          Understand the rise of radio over newspapers as the dominant medium in British life, before being usurped by television

-          Apply knowledge of the differences between the main political parties in the debates over public service broadcasting to wider discussions on ideology in post-war Britain

-          Evaluate the key moments in post-war broadcasting history, and the impact created

-          Investigating the effects of parliamentary intervention on the media

-          Acknowledging the impact of radio and television on other activities in twentieth-century Britain

-          Learn the skills necessary to produce advanced critical essays

Assessment: Total Marks: 200 via continuous assessment (2x 3,000 word essays: 150 marks; seminar participation: 25 marks; class presentation: 25 marks).