Open Scotland: Journalists, Spin Doctors and Lobbyists

(Paperback)

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Scottish devolution brought high hopes for an open political culture. But how far have these been fulfilled This authors of this text argue that in the field of political communication, the old, established ways of the British state are firmly in place and that Westminster and Whitehall still cast long shadows over Edinburgh. This study offers the first full-scale coverage of how media, politicians and lobbyists interact in the new Scotland. Based on first-hand access to the key players, Philip Schlesinger, David Miller and William Dinan have written an inside account of the struggles to establish the rules of the game for covering politics. They have talked to the journalists of Scotland's political media pack, at the heart of the new political system and who have a decisive impact on the image of the Scottish Parliament and government.

Reviews

A brilliant new study -- Peter Preston Not only does this case study shed needed light on the importance of institutional structures to the quality of public communications, but its detailed and multifaceted analysis of the inner workings of an actual public sphere sets this book apart as a notable contribution to the growing literature on public communications systems. This fascinating and well-researched study explores just how far the opportunity for making a new politics and encouraging a different political culture has been recognised ... Its judgements are made on the basis of a far more comprehensive body of evidence than most accounts of similar topics... this study deserves attention from anyone concerned about the present conditions of mediated democracy and the real limitations on getting very far beyond them. A brilliant new study Not only does this case study shed needed light on the importance of institutional structures to the quality of public communications, but its detailed and multifaceted analysis of the inner workings of an actual public sphere sets this book apart as a notable contribution to the growing literature on public communications systems. This fascinating and well-researched study explores just how far the opportunity for making a new politics and encouraging a different political culture has been recognised ... Its judgements are made on the basis of a far more comprehensive body of evidence than most accounts of similar topics... this study deserves attention from anyone concerned about the present conditions of mediated democracy and the real limitations on getting very far beyond them.

Author Bio

Philip Schlessinger is Professor and Academic Director of the Centre for Cultural Policy Researchat the University of Glasgow. He is author of Putting 'Reality' Together: BBC News(Routledge), Media, State and Nation (Sage), Televising 'Terrorism' (Comedia), Women Viewing Violence (BFI), Reporting Crime (The Clarendon Press) and Men Viewing Violence (Broadcasting standards Commission). David Miller is a Fellow and Professor of Political Theory at Nuffield College, Oxford. He is the author of many books including Political Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction (2003), Citizenship and National Identity (2000), and Principles of Social Justice (1999).