UK Media Putting American Media to Shame?

Much has been said about the current state of American media and journalism, especially when it comes to politics. Critics of American news programs and publications say they focus too much on the celebrity or tabloid aspect of elections.

This critical crescendo has been revived during the 2008 Presidential Election. In their respective battles against Barack Obama, the Clinton and McCain campaigns both accused the media of "being in the tank" for the Illinois Senator. Even SNL parodied these claims in a skit where Clinton (played by Amy Poehler) is grilled in a debate while Obama (Fred Armisen) is fawned over. This argument has also been used against McCain’s VP pick Sarah Palin, who many say faced media attention over details in her personal life while escaping questions on her qualifications.


Courtesy of NBC


This supposed flaw is a central discussion point in my classes here in the UK. Much of the UK media is known for being more aggressive than its American counterpart towards politicians and other figures in the news. A UK politician, even the Prime Minister, can be pressured out of office by his or her party. Often such ousters are a result of low support from the public. What political party wants to be associated in the next election with an unpopular candidate? As a result, UK politicians are at the mercy of journalists. Bad coverage has arguably more weight in the UK than in the US.

Another possible reason for the difference is that political figures are less glamorized in the UK. While in the US, it’s important for politicians to “connect” with voters, i.e. through religion or other personal details, the British public is less likely to care about such details. The press, therefore, focuses more on the issues. Though Obama is widely popular in the UK, his strong stance against the Bush administration’s policies is his main pull here. His youthful appearance and unique life story would’ve been of less importance. Palin’s popularity among Republican supporters for her religious and conservative moral views is almost non-existent in the UK, even among conservatives. The majority of UK observers see her as an empty candidate.

A wonderful example of hard-hitting British reporting is BBC “Newsnight” anchor Jeremy Paxman. Here he is in action: