Edstone to Trump:
Politics & Journalism In Crisis
Prof Charlie Beckett
GV311
2017

What does journalism do for politics?
• Information
[facts, records, statistics, events,
policies]
• Deliberation
[debate, analysis, comment, opinion]
• Accountability
[investigation, audit, voice for
citizen, campaigns]

Politicians
News
Media
Public

Political reporting is now networked
Media
Politicians
Citizens

Networked political journalism is..
• Mainstream or digital native media
‘exploiting’ networks
• ‘Digital first’: Connected, continuous
• Includes public participation at some point:
source, interactivity, audience analysis,
dissemination
• Multi-source, multi-format, multi-platform
• Service, not product

Examples of networked political
journalism

Build your own coalition

What digital can for democracy
• More information
• Citizen voice and
participation
• Media accountability
• Direct communication
(disintermediation)
• Organisation &
campaigning

What digital can for democracy
• More information
• Citizen voice and
participation
• Media accountability
• Direct communication
(disintermediation)
• Organisation &
campaigning
• Over abundance of data
and voice
• Replicates hierarchies
• Homophily (filter
bubbles)
• Fragmentation and
polarisation
• Distraction, extremism,
clicktavism

#EdStone

Trust in media: relative to platform,
source, country

Real problem is lack of engagement,
attention & authenticity

Corbyn’s solution: bypass MSM

Labour’s ratings have declined under
Corbyn to record post-war low

Labour supporters don’t even back him for PM

blog.sysomos.com/
(2015)
• Orange = Corbyn critics
• Red = centre Left, neutral or supportive
• Purple = broad debate
• Blue = Corbynistas

Trump’s media by-pass

Attacking journalists’ tweets

Platforms now increasingly shape
political information flows

Journalists have lost control (to
platforms)

Some politicians have lost control

Post-truth?
• Is ‘Post truth’ actually simply the failure of
Establishment to recognise challenging views?
• There is ‘fake news’ but has it now also come
to mean ‘news I disagree with’?
• What should mainstream news media &
politics do to regain relevance – but not
control?

Polis blog
@CharlieBeckett