“Does the mainstream media still serve any useful purpose?” – This was the question posed by an audience member during Question Time this week, so we decided to take a look at the influence that mainstream media brands still have on the political debate in the UK and whether they still have a…
Category: Politics
Beware The Populist
Jeremy Corbyn, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump have far more in common than some people would probably realise. They all ran outsider “insurgent” campaigns, funded mostly from small individual donations – though in Trump’s case he ended up receiving support from numerous anti-Hillary super-pacs. They were all repeatedly dismissed by the media, declared…
How To Fix Translink: Step 1
Despite being the 22nd largest city in the UK, Belfast is the most congested city – even more so than London. Poorly designed urban infrastructure and dismal public transport services are the leading causes of this problem, so whilst it may be difficult to perform massive overhauls of the traffic system in central Belfast,…
A Secret Senate Healthcare Bill Seems A Fitting Conclusion
A Senate healthcare bill drawn up hastily in a dark back room seems a fitting conclusion to the roller-coaster ride we have had in healthcare over the past eight years. It’s a culmination of everything the Republicans set in motion when they first stood in united opposition to the passage of the Affordable…
Is Theresa May Gambling By Starting Brexit Negotiations Before Her Queen’s Speech Passes?
Michael Barnier and David Davis led the preliminary Brexit talks that started this morning and have already given in on one of their main negotiating demands; that the divorce agreement and the relationship post-Brexit should be negotiated simultaneously. Given that the EU is a massive 27 country bloc, it seems only natural that…
Grenfell Fire and Fallout: A Lesson In Media Framing
The fire at Grenfell tower in Kensington has been at the centre of media coverage over the past few days. The deaths have sparked angry protests, calls for resignation, the start of a formal government inquiry, and some serious scrutiny of the politicians who could have arguably prevented this tragedy. There have been…
