The transformation of campaign reporting: the 2010 UK General Election, revolution or evolution?

Abstract

This chapter argues that the 2010 election represented a transformative moment in the reporting of British general election campaigns. Some of the changes were incremental — going back over several previous elections — but some were dramatic and specific to the 2010 campaign. The single most important reason why 2010 was a totally different campaign to report was because of the advent of the leaders’ televised debates. The debates not only had a dramatic impact themselves but also, by their intensification of attention on the leadership issue, played an important part in making 2010 a virtually policy-free campaign. However, there were other major developments — more incremental — that also had an important impact on the daily business of election campaign reporting in 2010.