In conversation with Norman Fairclough : introducing neoliberalism into the television policy of the Labour Party in the UK, 1992-1997

Abstract

This thesis results from my first inspirational encounter with Norman Fairclough, his approach to position of discourse in the globalised economy and social change, and applies the methodology of CDA to a specific topic. This topic is the television policy of the Labour Party, 1992 - 1997. I explore the space of academic freedom transdisciplinarity and CDA provide in such a specific topic, posing simple questions within my reach: such as how far can entrance discourse into a policy prove influential for regulation of the market, how can a globalised discourse expand to national level or about the relationship between discourse and social change. Keywords Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), transdisciplinary - Norman Fairclough, New Labour - broadcasting policy, television policy - Labour party, United Kingdom, 1992- 1997, neoliberal discourse/discourse of new capitalism, television market - deregulation - UK

- 62 - 8. SUMMARY The thesis deals with the television policy of the Labour Parry, 1992-1997. The topic works as a framework for interpretation of Norman Fairclough's concepts, applying his transdisciplinary approach and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Within the framework, I answer simple questions such as whether discourse that had reached the status of policy can have real economic impact (in the case of Campaign for Press and Broadcasting not) or where the global discourse meets the local (issues of cross media ownership and new technologies). In my quest to better understand the relationship between social change and discourse, I follow the history of deregulation of the broadcasting duopoly, the way of the Labour Party towards deregulation and in the light of this information analyse three different texts and shortly follow up on coherence in the 1992 and 1997 Labour and Conservative manifestos. To conclude, I appreciate the wide academic freedom that discourse and its interconnectivity provides. As discourses can influence society, a free society should understand and participate in its discourses. In Labour Party television policy, the participation was certainly not complete.