Résumé
Public broadcasters, like the BBC and the Italian broadcaster RAI, are some of the most important media organisations in the world. Politicians are often tempted to interfere in the workings of these broadcasters and when this happens, the results are highly controversial, as both the Blair and Berlusconi governments have discovered. Public Broadcasting and Political Interference explains why some broadcasters are good at resisting politicians' attempts at interference, and have won a reputation for independence - and why other broadcasters have failed to do the same. It takes a comparative approach of broadcasters in different countries, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and Sweden arguing political independence for public service broadcasters is important because of its contribution to democracy allowing voters alternative sources of information which allow them to choose between electoral alternatives.The book will be of interest to be of interest to policy-makers, scholars and students of political communication, broadcasting and the media.

Contenu

Part 1: The Broad Picture 1. Introduction 2. The Broad Picture: Testing Rival Theories of Independence on 36 Public Broadcasters Part 2: Specific Cases 3. Italy: "The Absence of Caesars" 4. Spain: Huge Steps Forward? 5. The United Kingdom: "Treading delicately like Agag" 6. Ireland: Importing Experience 7. Sweden: "Disturbing Neither God Nor Hitler" 8. Denmark: Being Driven to the Left? Part 3: Comparisons and Conclusions 9. Comparing the six broadcasters 10. Conclusion