Essential Public Affairs for Journalists - Softcover

"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, former editor, TheIndependent "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

Essential Public Affairs for Journalists is an invaluable guide for journalism students and those already in the industry. Offering comprehensive coverage of the workings of both central and local government, it provides all the information they will need to cover public affairs with confidence. Beginning by outlining the constitutional framework and the governing institutions of the U.K., the book then moves on to explore Britain's role in the EU and the wider world of international relations. In the second half of the text, the focus shifts to local government, where such headline-grabbing subjects as school catchment areas, council tax and public transport, are reviewed and explained. The second edition is fully up-to-date with the 2010 general election, and includes the latest details of the coalition government's policy agenda. The contents have been carefully revised to ensure the best possible fit with the new NCTJ public affairs syllabus, and there is additional advice on the practicalities of reporting. Essential Public Affairs for Journalists is also supported by an Online Resource Centre with the following features: - Regular updates - new developments in central and local government are succinctly summarised so that the book is always up-to-date - News feeds - real life articles from different news sites are linked to via RSS - Audio podcasts on reporting public affairs in practice - Tables - Web links