Parliamentary Law Making
The Media
Influences on Parliamentary
Law Making
The Media
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Parliamentary Law Making
The Media
Starter
• What other
media
campaigns
can you think
of –
successful
and
unsuccessful?
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Parliamentary Law Making
The Media
Objectives
• Describe the main features of the media
• Explain why the media is a successful form of
influence on parliament
• Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of
the media as an influence on Parliament
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Parliamentary Law Making
The Media
What constitutes the media?
• Discuss all the medium that you think could be considered
‘The Media’
• Channels through which information is transmitted – TV,
newspapers, magazines, radio etc.
• Clear connection between the media and public opinion
• Two way communication Public and Government via media
• Often pressure groups use the media as part of their
campaign
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Parliamentary Law Making
The Media
Media and public opinion
•
Newspaper often campaign to reform the law.
•
Can you think of any recent examples of campaigns and the newspapers
that started them?
•
There is often pressure to change the law from a number of influences
working together (e.g. pressure groups and the media)
•
Example – The Double Jeopardy Rule – resulted in the Criminal Justice Act
2003 (retrial after compelling new evidence)
•
Stephen Lawrence Case – acquittal – media pressure – Law Commission
•
Carry out the Snowdrop Case Study
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Parliamentary Law Making
The Media
Advantages
• Raise government awareness and inform them
of concerns held by public – Snowdrop is a good
example of this
• Media also raises public awareness – which
helps the government convince the public to
accept its electoral mandate
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Parliamentary Law Making
The Media
Disadvantages
• Radio and TV required to remain politically neutral
not the case with newspapers – Newspapers can
become politicised
• Newspapers out to make money – have an agenda
to sell newspapers – Daily Mail and Princess Diana
• Easily whip up a moral panic in the public – News of
the World ‘Name and Shame Campaign’
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Parliamentary Law Making
The Media
Media and Pressure Group – Case Studies
• In your groups carry out the research for the Campaign
you have been assigned to and prepare a 4 minute legal
brief for the rest of the class. You have 10 minutes to
prepare your brief.
1. Group 1 – Zito Campaign
2. Group 2 – Sarah’s Law
3. Group 3 – Fathers 4 Justice
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Parliamentary Law Making
The Media
Advantages
• Complete the short advantages and disadvantages exercise
matching examples to either a disadvantage or an advantage.
Advantages and disadvantages of media and pressure groups
Identify an example from the list below to accompany each of these
advantages and disadvantages of the influence of media and
pressure groups. There is not necessarily one single correct answer!
Snowdrop Campaign
Zito Trust
CountrySide Alliance
Fathers 4 Justice
National Farmers Union
The Sun Newspaper
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Parliamentary Law Making
The Media
Objectives
• Describe the main features of the media
• Explain why the media is a successful form of
influence on parliament
• Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of
the media as an influence on Parliament
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Parliamentary Law Making
The Media
Homework
• Your task tonight is to research the Campaign by the previous
government to ban fox hunting.
• You will need to research both sides (the anti-hunt lobby and
the Countryside Alliance) as well as the political stances of the
parties concerned.
• You may also try and consider what type of law this was
(although we will be returning to this in later lessons)
• You will be using this information in your consolidation lesson
next so make plenty of notes.
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