Mass media and social change in Britain, 1882–2004 - 1 The age of the…

The idea

This topic examines how two press barons used mass-circulation newspapers to shape politics between 1914 and 1936. Northcliffe, owner of the Daily Mail and The Times, campaigned for conscription and criticised aspects of the conduct of the war, using his papers to press the government and influence public opinion. Beaverbrook, owner of the Daily Express, undermined Asquith and supported Lloyd George, helping to build the political pressure that contributed to the change of prime minister in December 1916. He later used his press influence during the abdication crisis of 1936, when Edward VIII’s proposed marriage to Wallis Simpson divided opinion. Strong answers assess how far press influence actually changed outcomes, weighing newspaper power against other political, constitutional and social factors.

What earns the marks

• Explains Northcliffe’s stance on conscription, including his campaign through the Daily Mail and The Times for compulsory military service before and during the First World War.
• Analyses Northcliffe’s criticisms of some conduct of the war, such as attacks on shortages of shells and on military and political leadership, and considers their effect on public and political opinion.
• Examines Beaverbrook’s undermining of Asquith, including press criticism of his leadership, and his support for Lloyd George as a more energetic wartime leader.
• Assesses Beaverbrook’s involvement in the abdication crisis, including the stance of the Daily Express and the wider press debate over Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.
• Evaluates the extent of press baron influence, distinguishing between shaping opinion, reflecting existing opinion and directly causing political outcomes.
• Uses specific evidence from the period 1914–36 to support a judgement on the significance of Beaverbrook and Northcliffe in mass media and social change.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Claiming the press alone removed Asquith.

  Put it right: Present press pressure as one factor alongside party and coalition manoeuvres, military setbacks and the constitutional crisis of 1916.

• Confusing the two owners’ papers and campaigns.

  Put it right: Attach Northcliffe to the Daily Mail and The Times and Beaverbrook to the Daily Express, and to keep their causes distinct.

• Treating newspaper influence as direct control of readers.

  Put it right: Discuss persuasion, agenda-setting and the limits of press power in a period of expanding but not universal readership.

Exam tips

• Link each owner to a named paper, a specific campaign and a political consequence, so evidence and argument stay connected.
• Compare the two men explicitly, for example contrasting Northcliffe’s wartime campaigns with Beaverbrook’s role in leadership change and the abdication crisis.
• Qualify claims about influence by referring to other factors such as party politics, the monarchy and public opinion, showing awareness of debate.