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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

Malaysia Q2 Economy Grows 5.8%, Beating Forecasts on Strong Tech Exports and Domestic Demand

Malaysias economy expanded by 5.8% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, outperforming market expectations and highlighting the countrys resilience despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainties. According to advance...

Japan Core Inflation Seen Rising in June, Strengthening BOJ Rate Hike Outlook

Japans core consumer inflation likely accelerated in June as higher energy prices and revised medical service fees offset easing food inflation, reinforcing expectations that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) could continue raising...

Nikkei Plunges 5% as AI Stock Selloff Spreads Across Asia

Japans Nikkei 225 tumbled more than 5% on Friday, falling to its lowest level since June 11 as a global selloff in artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor stocks intensified. The decline mirrored heavy overnight...

Asian Stocks Slide as Nikkei Leads Losses on Tech Selloff and Rising U.S.-Iran Tensions

Asian stock markets ended mostly lower on Friday, led by a sharp decline in Japans Nikkei 225 as technology and semiconductor stocks extended a global selloff. Investor sentiment also remained under pressure amid...

Brazil Weighs IP Curbs, Patent Suspensions After New U.S. Tariffs

Brazil is preparing a series of retaliatory measures against the United States after the Trump administration imposed a 25% tariff on many Brazilian products, according to sources familiar with the discussions. Senior...

Politics

Trump Criticizes ABC, NBC and CNN for Limiting Coverage of Election Speech

President Donald Trump criticized ABC, NBC and CNN after the three major U.S. news organizations declined to air his prime-time address on their main television platforms, intensifying his long-running dispute with the...

Iran Launches Fresh Attacks on U.S. Bases as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Escalate

Iran launched new attacks on U.S. military facilities in the Gulf on Friday after the United States carried out a sixth straight night of strikes on Iranian military targets, deepening a conflict that has unraveled last...

US Military Completes Sixth Night of Iran Strikes as Conflict Escalates

The U.S. military said it completed a new wave of strikes on Iran late Thursday, marking the sixth consecutive night of operations ordered by President Donald Trump as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to...

Nicaragua Cuts Diplomatic Ties With Italy Over Red Brigades Extradition Dispute

Nicaragua has officially severed diplomatic relations with Italy after a renewed dispute over the extradition of former Red Brigades militant Alessio Casimirri, intensifying a decades-long conflict tied to one of Italys...

North Korea Calls South Korea ‘Puppet’ After U.S.-Led RIMPAC Naval Exercise

North Korea sharply criticized South Korea on Friday, labeling Seoul a puppet after its participation in the U.S.-led Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), warning that Washington and Seoul would be responsible for any...

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

KAIST, Stanford Develop Self-Dressing Robot for Cleanrooms and Emergency Gear

Researchers from South Koreas Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Stanford University have developed an innovative self-dressing robotic technology that allows people to put on clothing without...

SpaceX Aborts Starship Test Flight as Engine Issue Delays Launch

SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) called off the 13th test flight of its Starship rocket just minutes before its scheduled liftoff from its Texas launch site on Thursday after an engine-related issue triggered an automatic abort. CEO...

Sam Altman Admits OpenAI Missteps, Promises Major AI Comeback Focused on User Freedom

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has publicly acknowledged that the company fell short of expectations over the past year, taking personal responsibility for its performance while outlining an ambitious vision for the future. In a...

Moonshot Launches Kimi K3, China's Largest Open-Source AI Model

Chinese artificial intelligence startup Moonshot has introduced Kimi K3, a new open-source AI model the company describes as the worlds largest of its kind, highlighting Chinas accelerating competition with leading U.S. AI...

Xi Jinping Calls for People-Centered AI Development at WAIC, Expands Global Cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a people-centered approach to artificial intelligence (AI) development during his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in...