The News: Lancaster, England

 Reading and watching the news is probably one of my least favorite things to do, no matter where I am. Unfortunately this stems right to my perceptions of the American media and how much it skewers the truth, particularly with politics and other issues, mostly social and financial. The idea that news sources can be unreliable is in itself a topic that hits major news outlets. It just seems like these major outlets are putting so much effort towards trying to bring down one another so that they come out on top rather than aiming for an objective broadcast. Of course it is impossible to be purely objective, especially when you are a news corporation, but the media has become so far removed from this idea and so much closer the ever seemingly growing strength in American political divides.

The news in Britain, particularly Lancaster, is really not that much different in the types of stories that make headlines in local America. Of course right now the major stories on American screens involve the political debate and the aftermath of the Superbowl. You won’t find that here. Instead it is just the same-old angry couple murder, hit and run death, stolen bike and restaurant takeover. The Guardian is where Lancaster’s local news, as well as nationwide news, can be found, but the more popular outlets for major news in Britain can be found in The Telegraph as well as the BBC of course. Like America, the top stories are usually political, though seemingly more complex with international issues. They are also presented in an ongoing manner. That is to say the topics being presented have been in the headlines for more than several weeks. The issues are ongoing, and this demonstrates the relationship these news outlets have with their audiences. Their readers are loyal and have been seemingly following these issues since they were first reported. An example of this is The BBC’s coverage of politicians discussing the UK’s EU (European Union) reform, which focuses on the duties and responsibilities of the Prime Minister, America’s equivalent of the President.

As a country very heavily developed, the U.K. is filled with major news and media outlets ranging from your reputable newspaper down to your gossip tabloid. It makes for a rather well informed community of readers, as I have found here in Lancaster. Social, political, economical, and religious issues make their way into conversations within my classrooms. In particular, the ongoing debate on whether the U.K. is a ‘Christian’ nation or not, was one discussed in my World Religions course. It was an interesting conversation, though one I found I had littler to contribute to. I enjoyed sitting back and being exposed to this debate that many of my peers were familiar with. It gave me a real sense of how interested students are here with the world around them and their obvious exposure to the media.

Though I don’t find a huge interest in keeping up with the latest news, I cannot deny its importance to culture and the ways in which it affects and reflects the ideologies and social structures of the people here in the U.K.