Parliament and the Media

Based on an analysis of media content from selected periods in 1986 and 1996, this study examines the changing nature of parliamentary and political coverage in Britain, Germany and France. The comparison of the output suggests that although there are differences in political structures and media practices, there are also important similarities, such as a reduction in the length of politicians' "sound-bites" on television, and changes in the make-up of newspapers which affect the nature of parliamentary and political coverage. The findings are placed within a broader context of a continually changing relationship between political institutions and actors in the media.