Connecting between class and the media

Accessing a quality daily is an absolute must for students new to the study of British politics. But from experience I know that students find it difficult to know what to focus on, what particularly useful articles or comment pieces look like compared to analysis that isn’t directly relevant to the course.

Here on the blog I will try to provide some direction.

This week there has been masses of coverage of the phone-hacking scandal. A bit like the MPs’ expenses story I think it is blown out of proportion by the media, and doesn’t form part of the core and substantial debates about our political system.

Instead, we should look back to some stories earlier in the week that will probably tie in with the topics being covered in class during the early stages of the course.

Often the first topic is electoral reform. Nick Clegg has been trying to drive forward his plan for a referendum on swapping to the Alternative Vote, and attached to this is the Tory proposal to equalise constituency sizes. Polly Toynbee penned an article earlier this week. It makes a good discussion piece. See here.

In the same issue of the Guardian, one of the editorial features outlines the case for the Alternative Vote. This is another very useful article for background reading and/or class discussion. Click here.

If you want to research further, have a browse through the Guardian’s electoral reform page.

Of course, this is all extremely relevant if you have started looking at political parties, since electoral reform is an issue which naturally divides parties internally rather than forming clear divisions in terms of inter-party rivalry.