The Power and the Story

In The Power and the Story, David Mannion provides a new and unique perspective on British post-war history. Momentous events are viewed through the most powerful and influential invention of the twentieth century: television. He charts the remarkable growth and influence of television news from its stumbling, embryonic pre-war beginnings to a world in which news never sleeps. This is the inside story of bold decision-makers, brave reporters and remarkable achievements. It is a story of tumultuous events that have taken television viewers to every corner of the planet, even to the Moon, without ever leaving their living rooms. It is a story of heroism and humour; of glamour and grit. But it is also a story about power. The Power and the Story reveals how, as the influence of television news grew, so too did the efforts of the politicians and the military to bully, influence and even control it. It is the story of how TV news fought back, and the ways in which it has transformed our world. Yet this book does not only chronicle the history of television news.
With the advent of social media and the breaking of unforeseen boundaries, with real-time images and testimonies from previously impenetrable and often terrifying places, Mannion looks forward to examine how this remarkable advance in mass communication will change the delivery of news - and the ways in which this will transform our world once again.