It is frequently claimed that the House of Commons’ select committees have grown in prominence since key reforms were implemented in 2010. In a blog originally posted by Democratic Audit Brian J. Gaines, Mark Goodwin, Stephen Holden Bates and Gisela Sin test this claim specifically in relation to press coverage. They find a pattern of increased newspaper attention after the reforms, but caution that these results show no consistent sustained increase, and also vary considerably depending on committee.
Tag: media
In a new blog from our Making Sense of Parliaments conference, Lawrence McKay investigates the effects of how MPs communicate on constituents’ awareness of their MPs.
By Stephen Bates and Mark Goodwin
Rupert Murdoch being attacked with a custard pie. Michael Gove alleging a ‘Trot conspiracy’ in English schools. The vice president of Google being informed that ‘you do evil’. Three highlights of the last Parliament, all of which took place within hearings of House of Commons select committees. These cross-party groups of MPs have become an important site for the exercise of Parliament’s scrutiny function and have been regarded by some as arguably the most significant and successful recent innovation in the relationship between the UK government and its legislature. While these committees have limited legislative powers when viewed in comparison with committees in other parliaments, they have received ‘universal praise’ – according to the Wright Committee on Reform of the House – from media, academic analyses and from parliamentarians themselves. Since undergoing significant reform in 2010, select committees have gained a higher profile (see research on media coverage by Dunleavy or Kubala (2011)) and, many claim, have become even more assertive and effective. For example, the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, recently claimed that the 2010 reforms have made Select Committees ‘pivotal players in politics’.
Please note that this blog piece was originally published on the PSA Blog on 03 March, and is available here.
By Katjana Gattermann and Sofia Vasilopoulou
We find out a lot of information about our Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) through the media. A quick google of ‘MEP’ this week will highlight UKIP MEP Diane James’ decision to stand down at the election, her colleague David Coburn’s disastrous appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions and Labour MEP Paul Brannen’s work as part of the European Parliament’s Agriculture and Development Committee. News media therefore play a central role in informing the general public about what happens in the European Parliament (EP), which is ultimately key to the representation, legitimacy and accountability of the EU. But to what extent do the media actually report about MEPs? And why do some MEPs receive more media attention than others?