Product Description

Public Affairs for Journalists is a punchy and practical introduction to all aspects of central and local government. It provides journalism students with all the information they will need to cover public affairs confidently. The text starts with the emergence of Britain's constitution, the changing role of the monarchy and the origins of parliamentary democracy and prime ministerial government. It goes on to explore the roles of individual departments of state, such as the Treasury, and recent moves away from state-directed 'big government' towards more localized and commercially driven forms of public service delivery. It also looks at Britain's position in the world with chapters on the EU and IR. The second half of the book examines the evolution of the present-day local authority framework. It explores the complexities of local government finance and the roles of elected councillors, emergency services and individual council departments The book concludes by looking at the Freedom of Information Act. Public Affairs for Journalists is accompanied by an Online Resource Centre, which includes: For Students: Monthly updates Extra tables Web links

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32137 in Books
• Published on: 2009-02-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 500 pages

Review
This is a wonderfully thorough, clear and up-to-date guide to the political mechanics of the country. James Morrison takes readers by the hand and leads them expertly through the twisty byways of British public life and its multifarious institutions. (Roger Alton, Editor, The Independent )

This book is an invaluable text for both journalism students and industry practitioners. Morrison not only explains how the political system works, he explains why it matters to both training and working reporters and the relevance of political stories to the daily lives of readers, viewers and listeners. (Amanda Ball, NCTJ Chief Examiner in Public Affairs )

Customer Reviews

Essential guide for journalism students
This book is a long-awaited guide to the structures of government and politics for training and student journalists. Generally it is very accessible and comprehensive. I have added it to the reading list of my 180 postgraduate journalism students.

Great for students
This book covers everything you need for your NCTJ exams on Public Affairs. It is easy to wade through and there is plenty of up-to-date examples which keeps things relevant