History of the UK Newspaper Industry

About the lecture

In this module we explore the history of the UK newspaper industry, focusing in particular on: (i) the early beginnings of the UK newspaper industry in the 17th century; (ii) the development of a recognisably modern newspaper industry by the mid nineteenth century and the role of industrialisation; (iii) the launch of popular daily papers in the late nineteenth century e.g. the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror; (iv) the role of peak newspaper circulations in the 1950s and subsequently increasing competition from other media forms, e.g. radio, television, and later the internet; (v) how this competition challenged the dominance of traditional newspapers and forced them to adapt and evolve.

About the lecturer

Professor Adrian Bingham is Professor of Modern British History at the University of Sheffield. His main research interests are in the political, social and cultural history of twentieth-century Britain, and much of his research concentrates on the national popular press and its role in both shaping and reflecting British society and culture. His recent publications include: ‘Tabloid Century: The Popular Press in Britain, 1896 to the Present’ (2015), co-authored with Professor Martin Conboy.