Campaign coverage and editorial judgements: broadcasting

If this was an election where the campaign made a difference, then the media—and especially broadcasters—played a critical role. On television, still the most influential medium for the majority of voters, broadcasters challenged the parties’ approach as politicians discovered that their robotic soundbites and stage-management could backfire. Like politicians, journalists found that social media was now a vital factor in helping shape what became an unexpectedly dynamic broadcast campaign. The result challenged the conventional wisdom of many Westminster journalists, and prompted new questions about the role, relevance and authority of the mainstream media during election campaigns