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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

Myanmar Rebels Disrupt Global Rare Earth Supply, Challenge China's Control

In October, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), an ethnic rebel group in northern Myanmar, seized control of the countrys rare-earth mining belt, disrupting global supply chains and challenging the military junta and...

Asian Stocks Slip on Trump Tariff Fears, Tokyo Inflation Jitters Shake Markets

Most Asian stocks fell on Friday, extending losses as investor anxiety grew over U.S. President Donald Trumps aggressive tariff plans. Japanese markets led regional declines, with the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX sinking over 2%...

US Halts WTO Contributions Amid Trump’s Global Spending Review

The United States has paused its contributions to the World Trade Organization (WTO) as part of President Donald Trumps broader review of funding to international organizations. This move aligns with Trumps America First...

RBA Set to Hold Rates Steady Amid Inflation Concerns and Cautious Outlook

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is expected to keep its official cash rate unchanged at 4.10% during its April 1 policy meeting, according to a Reuters poll of 39 economists. As inflation begins to ease but core...

South Korea’s March Exports Climb on Chip Demand Despite Tariff Concerns

South Koreas exports likely grew for the second straight month in March, driven by strong semiconductor demand, according to a Reuters poll of nine economists. Outbound shipments from Asias fourth-largest economy are...

Politics

DOJ Launches Civil Rights Probe into LA Concealed Carry Delays

The U.S. Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into whether the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department is unlawfully delaying concealed carry permit approvals. The probe, announced by Attorney General...

Judge Halts Trump Administration's Voice of America Shutdown Effort

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administrations move to shut down Voice of America (VOA), temporarily preventing the termination of 1,300 journalists and staff. U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken ruled that the...

Appeals Court Backs Musk's Cuts to USAID During Legal Battle

A U.S. federal appeals court has ruled in favor of Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), allowing them to continue cutting funding and operations at the U.S. Agency for International Development...

West Virginia Bans Food Dyes, Moves to Limit Soda Purchases with Food Stamps

West Virginia has become the first U.S. state to ban artificial food dyes and seek restrictions on soda purchases with food stamps, aligning with health priorities championed by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary...

Judge Blocks Trump-Musk Effort to Shut Down CFPB

A U.S. federal judge has halted the Trump administration and Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency from dismantling the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), delivering a legal blow to their rapid efforts...

Science

Sanofi’s New Hemophilia Drug Qfitlia Gains FDA Approval with Breakthrough Bimonthly Dosing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Qfitlia, a groundbreaking hemophilia treatment by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY). Designed for patients aged 12 and older with hemophilia A or B,...

What are the chances an asteroid will impact Earth in 2032?

For a few days in mid-February, headlines around the world buzzed about the potential for an asteroid to hit the Earth in 2032 specifically, asteroid 2024 YR4. The chance of this impact rose to a high of 3.1 per cent on...

A new study reveals the structure of violent winds 1,300 light years away

The planet WASP-121b is extreme. Its a gas giant almost twice as big as Jupiter orbiting extremely close to its star50 times closer than the Earth does around the Sun. WASP-121b is so close to its star that tidal forces...

What’s the shape of the universe? Mathematicians use topology to study the shape of the world and everything in it

When you look at your surrounding environment, it might seem like youre living on a flat plane. After all, this is why you can navigate a new city using a map: a flat piece of paper that represents all the places around...

Asteroid has a very small chance of hitting Earth in 2032, but a collision could devastate a city

In December 2024, astronomers in Chile spotted a new asteroid streaking through the sky, which they named 2024 YR4. Whats significant about this 100m-wide space rock is that it has a small chance of hitting Earth in 2023....

Technology

CoreWeave Slashes IPO Size and Price Amid Investor Caution Despite Nvidia Backing

CoreWeave, a leading AI cloud infrastructure provider backed by Nvidia, has significantly downsized its U.S. IPO. The company cut its offering by 23.5%, now aiming to raise $1.5 billion by selling 37.5 million shares at...

Alibaba Stock Gets Boost as Mizuho Touts AI Potential and Hikes Price Target

Alibaba Group (NYSE: BABA, HK:9988) surged in investor interest after Mizuho raised its price target on the Chinese tech giants U.S.-listed shares from $140 to $170, maintaining an Outperform rating. The bullish update...

SK Hynix Sees Chip Order Surge Ahead of Possible U.S. Tariffs, Eyes AI Memory Boom

SK Hynix, the worlds second-largest memory chipmaker, revealed that customers are rushing orders in anticipation of potential U.S. semiconductor tariffs. Speaking at the companys annual shareholder meeting, Lee Sang-rak,...

Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger Joins Playground Global to Drive Chip Innovation

Pat Gelsinger, former Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) CEO, has joined venture capital firm Playground Global as a general partner, marking a major move in the semiconductor and deep tech investment space. Alongside this role,...

North Korea Unveils AI Suicide Drones and Airborne Radar in Military Upgrade

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen the test of new suicide drones equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), declaring that unmanned systems and AI technologies must be prioritized in modern military...