Towards Tabloidization? Glasgow revisited, 1975-2001

Abstract

In 1975, to contextualize its study of the reporting of trade union affairs on UK television news, the Glasgow Media Group analysed the content and presentational techniques of the bulletins transmitted on the three then-available national terrestrial channels.1 In 2001 the news output of the five major channels was sampled to provide a snapshot of contemporary coverage for a preliminary analysis of the significant differences between today's bulletins and those of a quarter of a century ago. UK television news in 2001 reveals that, although bulletin items exhibit the "quality" press characteristic of having generally become longer, some tendencies towards "tabloidization" can be noted. However, the essentials of presentation remain basically the same as they were in 1975.