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Simon Potter

Professor of Modern History, University of Bristol
My research focuses on British imperial history and on media history, including the history of newspapers and the periodical press, radio broadcasting, and television. I seek to bring research in these different fields together, to reveal the connections between empire and the mass media during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

I am currently leading a Leverhulme Trust International Research Network 'Connecting the Wireless World: Writing Global Radio History' (running 2016-2019) bringing together a group of scholars from around the world to think about global perspectives on the history of international broadcasting. In parallel with this, I am working on early British initiatives in global radio broadcasting in the 1920s and 1930s. I'm interested in exploring transnational perspectives on British broadcasting, the impact of radio on global news flows, the history of listening and audience responses, and in piecing together the incomplete record of past programmes broadcast for international listeners.

I am also currently developing a project on the history of press freedom and regulation in Britain and the British empire.

My earlier research examined the role played by newspapers and news agencies in linking up the component parts of the ‘British world’ (Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. More recently, I have written on the role of the BBC in building and strengthening imperial connections since 1922, and the BBC's response to the decline of the British world after the Second World War.

I have also published on the wider historiography of the British empire and the British world.

Why the BBC has a licence fee and what might happen if it were scrapped

Apr 08, 2024 06:13 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

The TV licence is as much part of British life as the BBC, which it helps to fund. But in an era of increased media choice much of it available online, through voluntary subscriptions or even for free BBC director...

Rupert Murdoch and the rise and fall of the press barons: how much power do newspapers still have?

Sep 23, 2023 00:49 am UTC| Insights & Views

Global media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has announced his retirement as chairman of Fox and News Corp, making way for his son Lachlan. He has been demonised as a puppet master who would pull the strings of politicians behind...

The BBC has a long history of failed attempts to rid it of political influence

Feb 06, 2023 09:08 am UTC| Politics

Most people probably dont know who the BBCs chairman is, or even that the BBC has a chairman. Yet this normally obscure figure has recently hit the headlines. Richard Sharp, BBC chairman since February 2021, is a former...

Economy

Asian Stocks Slip as Oil Rebounds Amid Fed Rate Hike Fears

Asian stock markets mostly declined on Tuesday, while oil prices recovered some losses as investors weighed easing geopolitical tensions alongside growing expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve could adopt a more...

Japan Manufacturing Growth Accelerates in June as Orders Surge Despite Iran War Cost Pressures

Japans manufacturing sector maintained strong momentum in June, supported by the fastest rise in new orders in more than four years, even as businesses continued to face mounting cost pressures linked to the ongoing Iran...

U.S.-Iran Diplomacy Helps Drive Gasoline Prices Down 15% From May Highs

American drivers are seeing welcome relief at the gas pump as gasoline prices continue to decline following improved diplomatic relations between the United States and Iran. According to fuel price tracker GasBuddy, the...

Wall Street Ends Mixed as Alphabet Slumps, Middle East Developments and Fed Outlook Weigh on Markets

U.S. stocks closed mixed on Monday as a sharp decline in Alphabet shares pressured the communication services sector, while investors closely monitored evolving developments in the Middle East and assessed the Federal...

Oil Prices Fall as Iran Peace Talks Progress, Hormuz Reopens, and U.S. SPR Hits 1983 Low

Global oil prices extended their recent decline on Monday as optimism grew over ongoing U.S.-Iran peace negotiations and the reopening of the vital Strait of Hormuz. The easing of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East...

Politics

California Court Dismisses Trump Administration Lawsuit Against Los Angeles Sanctuary Policy

A California federal court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against the City of Los Angeles over its sanctuary city ordinance, marking another legal setback in the ongoing debate over immigration...

Russian Air Strikes Injure Six Across Ukraine as Kyiv Issues Air Raid Alert

At least six people were injured in a new wave of Russian air strikes across Ukraine overnight, according to local officials, as authorities in Kyiv issued an air raid alert early Tuesday and urged residents to seek...

Alan Greenspan: 7 Fascinating Facts About the Former Fed Chairman

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who died Monday at the age of 100, left behind a remarkable legacy that extended far beyond economics and monetary policy. Known as one of the most influential figures in...

UNAIDS Urges U.S. to Reconsider South Africa HIV Funding Withdrawal

The head of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima, has urged the United States to reconsider its decision to withdraw HIV/AIDS funding for South Africa, warning that the move could put millions of vulnerable people at risk and...

US Waives Iran Sanctions for 60 Days as Peace Talks Advance and Lebanon Sees Calm

The United States has granted Iran a 60-day sanctions waiver following the first round of negotiations under a newly established peace agreement, signaling a potential breakthrough in efforts to ease tensions across the...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Meta Pauses Employee Activity Tracking Program Over Data Security Concerns

Meta has temporarily suspended an internal employee monitoring program used to train its artificial intelligence models after concerns emerged about potential data security and privacy risks. The program, known as the...

Oracle Cuts 21,000 Jobs as AI Reshapes Workforce and Cloud Expansion Accelerates

Oracle reduced its global workforce by approximately 21,000 employees, or 13%, during fiscal 2026 as the company continued a major restructuring effort while expanding its artificial intelligence and cloud computing...

Alphabet Stock Slides as AI Talent Exodus and SpaceX Losses Shake Investor Confidence

Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) shares plunged nearly 7% on Monday, marking one of the companys sharpest single-day declines in recent years as investors reacted to a combination of high-profile AI talent departures and weakness...

SpaceX Stock Plunges 16% as KeyBanc Warns Valuation May Be Overstretched

SpaceX shares tumbled more than 16% on Monday after investment firm KeyBanc initiated coverage with a cautious outlook, suggesting the aerospace giants valuation has become stretched following its strong post-IPO rally....

Trump’s Quantum Push Lifts IBM Stock as CEO Arvind Krishna Receives White House Praise

IBM shares surged in after-hours trading Monday after President Donald Trump publicly praised IBM CEO Arvind Krishna during a White House event focused on advancing U.S. quantum technology leadership. The endorsement...