ABSTRACT
Archaeologists, not only in the United Kingdom, profess themselves to be aggrieved at the exaggerations and misrepresentations which their profession attracts from the media. This is an old grievance, pre-dating the appearance of the early ‘halfpenny press’ and tabloid journalism at the end of the nineteenth century. But the fact is that for equally long there has existed a relationship between archaeology and journalism, a mutually profitable twoway relationship. The media seek news and stimulus from archaeology. In return, the profession has learned to manipulate and exploit media publicity with unexpected enthusiasm and success. It is probably true to say that archaeologists are more cunning and proactive in their handling of this relationship than news editors and reporters.
