Live From Downing Street

(Paperback)

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Description

Revised and updated with new material for this paperback edition The relationship between politicians and broadcasters has always been fraught with tension. Today, every word and act of those who wield power is instantly broadcast and dissected on 24-hour rolling news channels, blogs and Twitter. But in the past, broadcasters were banned by law from debating anything newsworthy and Parliament imprisoned those who dared to report what MPs had said. Since that censorship ended, the two sides have clashed repeatedly. Live From Downing Street takes us on an absorbing journey through the history of this power struggle, dwelling in fascinating detail on the charismatic key players from radio and television - the Dimblebys, Day, Frost, Walden, Paxman, Humphrys - and those who fought back - Churchill, Wilson, Thatcher and Blair. As the BBC's Political Editor, Nick Robinson is uniquely placed to add his own perceptive insights into the controversial issue of impartial reporting, providing a colourful and gripping account of the hard-fought battles for the right to tell the public about the decisions taken on their behalf.

Reviews

Sharp-witted, full of surprises and with a great sense of history, Nick Robinson pulls back the curtain on an essential part of the democratic story. For everyone who wants to know more about the long, and sometimes hilarious, mud-wrestle between power and the media - and about the man behind the glasses - this is a must. * Andrew Marr *
Canny, plain-speaking and fair, Nick Robinson writes as the penetrating insider he is. * Matthew Parris *
Nick Robinson skips lightly through the great battles between Downing Street and the broadcast media... a fun, well-paced account * Sunday Times *
[Robinson] comes across much as he does on television or radio: never at a loss and able to deliver not just the news, but a definitive judgment on it * Financial Times *

Author Bio

Nick Robinson studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford before joining the BBC in 1986. After a decade working behind the cameras - as a producer on programmes ranging from Crimewatch to On the Record and Panorama - he became a reporter and presenter. He is the only person to have been Political Editor of both ITV News and now BBC News - a job he has held since August 2005. As well as appearing on TV and radio he writes an award winning blog. Nick lives in North London with his wife and three children.