ABSTRACT
This chapter and the next present findings from the focus group discussions of specific news items. As I have described, each group was shown four items, two from each programme. Prior to the screening, questions were asked to probe the students’ views and knowledge of the issue addressed in the item. Depending upon the topic, this initial discussion was sometimes quite specific, although in other cases it was rather less direct. The item was then screened, and students were asked further questions, designed to elicit their responses to the issues and opinions featured, and subsequently their perceptions of the item’s style and ‘point of view’. These questions did not follow a fixed script, and different questions were asked in each case depending upon the topic, and in order to allow for clarification and further explanation. Nevertheless, there was a broad agenda of issues which was covered in each case.
