Press coverage of the UK military budget: 1987 to 2009

Abstract

The UK is one of the world’s largest military powers, enjoying consistent spending increases over the last decade. However, in recent years there has been much discussion about whether the UK armed forces are sufficiently well-resourced. Others have asked why, with no clear threat of invasion, the UK spends so much on its military. The authors examine how press coverage has informed public discussion about UK military spending over the last two decades. Using a ‘discursive’ content analysis, they explore the nature of the information and assumptions used in 22 years of reporting in The Times and The Guardian. Their findings suggest that, especially in the last decade, press coverage relying on business, political and military elites has played down increases in military spending, creating the misleading impression that the UK military is under-resourced.