Civil Society, the Rise and Fall of Civic Scotland, and Contextualising Media

Abstract

Much has been written about Scottish civil society in recent decades – by academics, writers and commentators. Most of these interventions have not attempted a detailed and critical examination of civil society by locating it in its structural, social and ideological locations, noting who it speaks for and who it doesn't. Similarly, examination of the media in Scotland has tended to not address its place in wider civil society and the consequences that flow from this. This essay attempts to begin to address this by offering an overview of this state of affairs, while critically assessing the state of civil society, the media and the role of both, historically and contemporaneously.