Public Affairs for Journalists

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

ISBN 0199552614   Pages 712 ISBN13 9780199552610 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher Oxford University Press   Weight (grammes) 965 Imprint Oxford University Press   Published in Oxford Format Paperback   Height (mm) 223 Publication date 12 Feb 2009   Width (mm) 153 Library of Congress 2008051989   Spine width (mm) 35 DEWEY 351.41002407   Academic level Tertiary education DEWEY edition DC22

Pt. 1		Central Government
1		The British Constitution and Monarchy
2		Parliamentary Democracy, the Role of the House of Commons, and the Slow Death of the House of Lords
3		The Prime Minister, Cabinet and Government
4		The Electoral System
5		Political Parties, Party Funding and Lobbying
6		National Health Service
7		The Treasury, Industry and Commerce
8		Social Welfare and Home Affairs
9		The European Union
10		International Relations
Pt. 2		Local Government
11		Origins and Structure of Local Government
12		Financing Local Government
13		Local Government Decision-Making
14		Local Government Elections
15		State School System
16		Local Authority Planning
17		Housing
18		Social Services
19		Environmental Health
20		Freedom of Information Act
		Glossary
		Bibliography
		Index

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

 Be the first to write a customer review