Television and Radio Intermediate Modern Studies Government and Decision Making in Scotland

What will I learn? The ways in which television and radio can influence the decision making process in Scotland. What ‘spin doctors’ are.

Almost every home in Scotland has a television and radio. Many people also listen to the radio in their cars. Therefore, politicians cannot ignore them! In terms of party politics, television must not display bias. Also, radio broadcasters must, by law, avoid bias of any kind.

Politicians tend to talk in ‘sound bites’ which are short, powerful comments designed to get a message across in the limited time the news is on.

Politicians try to get a radio interview in the morning, as they know that people are travelling to their work and will be listening. On TV, party political broadcasts are allocated in a proportionate way depending on the number of seats a party has. Each party attempts to persuade voters to support their cause.

2011 – Scottish Parliament – Party Political Broadcasts Watch some of the political party broadcasts from the 2007 Scottish Parliament election. For each one, explain how the party tries to persuade voters to support them.

Spin Doctors Politicians attempt to use the media to their advantage by employing ‘spin doctors’ who attempt to put a positive spin on stories or attempt to get journalists to focus on particular stories or events.

Monitors Political parties employ ‘monitors’ who measure the amount of air time they get on the TV and radio and whether the coverage is positive or negative. Complaints can be made to the Broadcasting Standards Commission.