Archiving the Referendum

Beschreibung

Mhairi Brennan writes successfully from a dual perspective: as both a TV professional and as an accomplished research academic. Her study of the coverage of the Scottish independence referendum is exemplary, providing rare insights into how broadcasting functions in practice.

John Ellis, Emeritus Professor, Royal Holloway, University of London

"This important and timely book highlights the role of the archive (of a large public service broadcaster) as a major part of a nation’s cultural memory. The author—who has first-hand experience of researching and producing in broadcast archives—writes in an accessible and readable manner and as a result, the work will appeal to the informed reader with interests in media and politics as well as to students and academic researchers in the field.”

Jamie Medhurst, Professor of Film and Media, Aberystwyth University (Wales)

Using the contents of BBC Scotland’s television archive pertaining to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum campaign, this book argues that television archive material is a powerful memory tool which shapes how we connect with the past. The referendum was a seismic moment for Scotland and its repercussions are still being felt today. BBC Scotland provided the lion’s share of television coverage of the referendum and even became part of the story of the campaign. This book offers a unique insight into the work of the archivists and programme-makers involved with preserving and reusing footage of the campaign held in the broadcaster’s archive. Combining textual analysis with interviews with programme-makers and archivists, this book also explores the labour conditions and institutional policy around access to BBC Scotland’s television archive which play a crucial role in how material is chosen and used, thus shaping the stories that BBC Scotland tells about the referendum.

Mhairi Brennan is a Research Associate at Aston University, UK. Her specialism is in television, television archives, and memory. Brennan previously worked for several years as a television archive producer. This book is based on her experience of working as an archive producer in BBC Scotland’s Referendum Unit during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum campaign.

Using the contents of BBC Scotland’s television archive pertaining to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum campaign, this book argues that television archive material is a powerful memory tool which shapes how we connect with the past. The referendum was a seismic moment for Scotland and its repercussions are still being felt today. BBC Scotland provided the lion’s share of television coverage of the referendum and even became part of the story of the campaign. This book offers a unique insight into the work of the archivists and programme-makers involved with preserving and reusing footage of the campaign held in the broadcaster’s archive. Combining textual analysis with interviews with programme-makers and archivists, this book also explores the labour conditions and institutional policy around access to BBC Scotland’s television archive which play a crucial role in how material is chosen and used, thus shaping the stories that BBC Scotland tells about the referendum.

Autor*in

Mhairi Brennan

Themen in »Archiving the Referendum«

television archives Scottish independence referendum Scotland broadcasting television studies BBC politics history memory studies

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“Brennan’s book on the 2014 Scottish Referendum offers a deeply researched anchor case study for understanding the power of television archives to contain and mobilise memory. Immersed as we are in debates about the accuracy of footage and the rise of popular politics, this book is a timely reminder of the people and practices whose work shapes audiences.” (Professor Joanne Garde-Hansen, School of Media and Communication, University of Leeds, UK)

“Mhairi Brennan writes successfully from a dual perspective: as both a TV professional and as an accomplished research academic. Her study of the coverage of the Scottish independence referendum is exemplary, providing rare insights into how broadcasting functions in practice.” (John Ellis, Emeritus Professor, Royal Holloway, University of London)

“Archiving the Referendum offers a unique blend of scholarly analysis and professional insight, offering a fascinating look inside BBC Scotland’s coverage of one of the most pivotal moments in modern Scottish history. Moving between theory and practice, Brennan explores how decisions about what to preserve, select, and screen continue to influence how Scotland’s referendum experience is remembered. Engaging, original, and deeply informed, this is an indispensable study for anyone interested in media, memory, and the politics of national storytelling.” (Dr Coree Brown Swan, University of Stirling)

“This important and timely book highlights the role of the archive (of a large public service broadcaster) as a major part of a nation’s cultural memory. The author – who has first-hand experience of researching and producing in broadcast archives – writes in an accessible and readable manner and as a result, the work will appeal to the informed reader with interests in media and politics as well as to students and academic researchers in the field.” (Professor Jamie Medhurst, Aberystwyth University)

“This well-written book, bringing together memory studies and archival studies, makes a vital contribution in these burgeoning academic fields that urgently need more dialogue. Brennan’s perspective as both a scholar and practitioner gives us valuable insights into the workings of archives and their impact on cultural memory. A timely and important resource, it will resonate with academics, policymakers, curators, and programmers alike.” (Professor Dagmar Brunow, Linnaeus University)

“In this unique study of how reporting, archiving and archival reuse coalesced in coverage of the 2014 Scottish Referendum, Brennan demonstrates the importance of broadcasting in shaping public memory. Drawing upon her experience as a BBC archive producer at the time, she deftly balances her insider-practitioner knowledge with incisive academic critique. A timely exploration of recent broadcasting history that makes a powerful case for the significance and value of the archive in collective memory building.” (Dr Ciara Chambers, University College Cork, (President, International Association of Media History)

“In this erudite and thoroughly researched book, Mhairi Brennan offers a powerful and insightful examination of how BBC television broadcasts helped construct viewers’ experience and understanding of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. Further, drawing on her own experience as a BBC Scotland archive producer, she demonstrates how the resulting televisual archive continues to shape collective memory of the event, with significant implications for understanding how archives more generally may outline the contours of what becomes known as history.” (Dr Jaimie Baron, University of California, Berkeley)

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