ABSTRACT
Some writers believe that the development of the print media was the condition for the emergence of nationhood. The communication of ideas, opinions and news throughout a territory helped generate a sense of common belonging. People began to feel that they were participating in a national culture. If this sort of national identity emerged from below, states were also conscious of promoting national identity from above. In Ireland, both forms of nation-building are detectable from the late eighteenth century onwards. Governments, of course, have been concerned to regulate the views expressed in the media – especially the broadcast media – owing to their possible political impact. This has become increasingly difficult in recent years owing to technological changes affecting the circulation of information. Internet access and satellite reception, for example, make it difficult for governments to manage news ‘in the national interest’. Contemporary media are a dynamic part of the electronic or information economy. Their interconnection has promoted multi-media enterprises that combine, for example, television, radio and the print editions of newspapers along with simultaneous online versions. This has opened up new perspectives on the world that were unimaginable only a generation ago.
