Paper 3, Option 39.2: Mass media and social change in Britain, 1882–2004 - 1 The age of the press barons, 1914–36 — Edexcel A-Level History
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Paper 3, Option 39.2: Mass media and social change in Britain, 1882–2004 - 1 The age of the press barons, 1914–36 explained
Paper 3, Option 39.2: Mass media and social change in Britain, 1882–2004 - 1 The age of the press barons, 1914–36 covers 3 specification points, including The influence of Beaverbrook and Northcliffe;… and His newspaper empire and expansion, the….
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The influence of Beaverbrook and Northcliffe; Northcliffe’s stance on conscription and criticisms of some conduct of the war; Beaverbrook’s undermining of Asquith and support for Lloyd George, and involvement in the abdication crisis.
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.
The importance of Rothermere: his newspaper empire and expansion, the newspaper war, 1928–29; his influence, including support of revisions to First World War treaties, clash with Baldwin in 1931, support for Moseley and the BUF.
Rothermere built a mass-circulation empire, notably the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror, expanding titles and readership. In the 1928–29 newspaper war he fought rivals such as Beaverbrook, using price cuts and promotions to win circulation. His influence was political: he backed revising First World War treaties, especially against the Versailles settlement, and opposed Baldwin in 1931, helping to force Baldwin to seek a renewed mandate. He also supported Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists, using his papers to promote their ideas. Students should assess how far his ownership translated into political power, and the limits of that influence when public opinion or party leaders resisted.
The importance of the Daily Herald: the role of George Lansbury; the significance of the editorial stance on the First World War, conscientious objectors and the Russian Revolutions; the impact of Kamenev’s telegram 1920.
The Daily Herald began as a radical socialist paper, with George Lansbury playing a central role in its early direction. Its editorial stance opposed the First World War, supported conscientious objectors, and welcomed the Russian Revolutions. These positions made it a voice for the labour left but also exposed it to government hostility and commercial pressure. In 1920, intercepted telegrams between Lev Kamenev (a Soviet envoy in London) and Moscow regarding a Soviet subsidy to the paper were published. The Herald’s association with such foreign interference damaged its standing and contributed to its later relaunch as a Labour Party paper. Students should assess how far the Herald shaped labour opinion and how far its radicalism limited its influence.
Your focus
- Explain Northcliffe’s stance on conscription and his criticisms of some conduct of the war.
- Analyse Beaverbrook’s undermining of Asquith, his support for Lloyd George and his involvement in the abdication crisis.
- Evaluate how far Beaverbrook and Northcliffe influenced political outcomes between 1914 and 1936.
Show all 9 objectives
- Describe Rothermere's newspaper empire and expansion.
- Explain the causes and consequences of the 1928–29 newspaper war.
- Evaluate the extent and limits of Rothermere's political influence, including treaty revision, the 1931 clash with Baldwin, and support for Moseley and the BUF.
- Describe George Lansbury's role in the Daily Herald.
- Explain the significance of the Herald's editorial stance on the First World War, conscientious objectors and the Russian Revolutions.
- Evaluate the impact of Kamenev's telegram in 1920 on the Daily Herald and its political reputation.
Paper 3, Option 39.2: Mass media and social change in Britain, 1882–2004 - 1 The age of the press barons, 1914–36 exam tips
Marking Points
- 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.
- Explains the scale and structure of Rothermere's newspaper empire, including the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror, and how expansion increased his reach.
- Analyses the 1928–29 newspaper war as a circulation battle with rivals such as Beaverbrook, involving price cuts, competitions and promotional tactics.
- Assesses Rothermere's support for revisions to First World War treaties, including opposition to the Versailles settlement and advocacy of treaty change.
- Examines the 1931 clash with Baldwin, including Rothermere's campaign against Baldwin and the political consequences for both men.
- Evaluates Rothermere's support for Moseley and the BUF, and the extent to which his newspapers shaped or reflected fascist support.
- Judges the overall importance of Rothermere by weighing his commercial power against the limits of his political influence.
- Explains George Lansbury's role in founding, editing or directing the Daily Herald and his wider socialist commitment.
- Analyses the Herald's editorial opposition to the First World War and its support for conscientious objectors.
- Assesses the significance of the Herald's positive coverage of the Russian Revolutions for its political identity and readership.
- Examines the impact of Kamenev's telegram in 1920, including how the intercepted communications regarding a Soviet subsidy were used against the Herald and the labour left.
- Evaluates the importance of the Daily Herald by weighing its radical influence against its commercial and political difficulties.
- Connects the Herald's stance to broader debates about press freedom, patriotism and socialism in wartime and post-war Britain.
Examiner 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.
- 💡Use specific titles, dates and events to support each claim about Rothermere's influence.
- 💡Weigh commercial success against political outcomes to reach a supported judgement on his importance.
- 💡Connect Rothermere's actions to the wider theme of press barons' power in the period.
- 💡Avoid listing facts; group them into empire, newspaper war and political influence.
- 💡Use the Herald's specific editorial positions as evidence of its political importance.
- 💡Explain how the Kamenev telegram was used politically to discredit the paper, not just that it existed.
- 💡Balance the Herald's ideological influence against its practical weaknesses.
- 💡Link Lansbury's role to the paper's wider significance in the labour movement.
Common Mistakes
- Claiming the press alone removed Asquith; the correction is to 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; the correction is to 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; the correction is to discuss persuasion, agenda-setting and the limits of press power in a period of expanding but not universal readership.
- Treating Rothermere as identical to Beaverbrook; correction: distinguish their separate empires, rivalries and political positions.
- Assuming the newspaper war was only about prestige; correction: link it to circulation, advertising revenue and commercial survival.
- Claiming Rothermere's support for the BUF gave the party mass electoral success; correction: note that BUF support remained limited and his backing was controversial.
- Confusing Rothermere's treaty revisionism with support for Nazi Germany; correction: explain his specific calls to revise First World War treaties without equating them with later appeasement.
- Treating the Daily Herald as a mainstream Labour Party paper from its foundation; correction: note its early radical and independent socialist origins before later party control.
- Assuming all labour movement figures opposed the First World War; correction: distinguish the Herald's editorial line from the wider and divided labour response.
- Confusing Kamenev's telegram with a message to British workers; correction: identify it as intercepted communications between Kamenev in London and Moscow regarding a Soviet financial subsidy to the paper.
- Ignoring the commercial consequences of the Herald's radical stance; correction: link its editorial positions to circulation, funding and survival pressures.