When Ideology Fails: The Flagship of Thatcherism and the British Local and National Media

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between government and media in the promotion of substantial policy innovations. Taking the general case of `Thatcherism' in the UK, it draws on research into media coverage of the Community Charge, a major shift in the fiscal basis of local government, in the last years of the Thatcher administration. The research suggests that, despite growing media conglomeration and state centralization, it is important to examine both local and national media to explore persistent diversity, and analyses the limits to government public relations effectiveness.