Andrew Marr was born in Glasgow in 1959. He studied English at the University of Cambridge and has since enjoyed a long career in political journalism, working for the Scotsman, the Independent, the Daily Express and the Observer. From 2000 to 2005 he was the BBC's Political Editor. He has written and presented TV documentaries on history, science and politics, and presents the weekly Andrew Marr Show on Sunday mornings on BBC1 and Start the Week on Radio 4. He has written several books, including A History of 20th Century Britain and A History of Modern Britain. He lives in London with his family.

Acknowledgements - i: Acknowledgements Section - ii: Preface Unit - 1: The Snobs and the Soaks Chapter - 1: Who are Journalists? Chapter - 2: Early Journalists Chapter - 3: How Journalists First Became Powerful Chapter - 4: The Rise of the Political Hack Chapter - 5: The Overreachers Chapter - 6: Literary Journalism Chapter - 7: Getting In: Local Papers and the Rise of the Modern Reporter Chapter - 8: When Fleet Street was Fleet Street Chapter - 9: Intellectuals Chapter - 10: Journalism's Private Class System Chapter - 11: Mazer, Our Sala Unit - 2: What Is News? Chapter - 12: Hard News and Weak News Chapter - 13: The Mystery of News Chapter - 14: Early News Stories Chapter - 15: Sensational, and Dull, Victorian News Chapter - 16: The Old News Journalism Chapter - 17: From Austerity to Shopping: News and the Modern World Chapter - 18: Sex Stories: A Very Short History Chapter - 19: Not Shagging but Shopping - New News Values? Chapter - 20: News Now: Has it Changed? Unit - 3: The Dirty Art of Political Journalism Chapter - 21: Coming Home Chapter - 22: The Daily Life of the Gallery Slaves Chapter - 23: The Rise and Fall of the Straight Reporter Chapter - 24: Bent and Twisted Journalism? Chapter - 25: What is a Political Story? Chapter - 26: An Incredibly Short History of the Lobby Chapter - 27: What Political Journalists Do Chapter - 28: Political Journalism Now: Are We Too Powerful? Unit - 4: Lord Copper and His Children Chapter - 29: Becoming an Editor Chapter - 30: How Real Editors Edit Chapter - 31: Enter Lord Copper, With a Heavy Tread Chapter - 32: The First Mystery of the Proprietors Chapter - 33: How to Read a Newspaper Unit - 5: Into The Crowded Air Chapter - 34: If the Face Fits . . . Chapter - 35: The Clutter of Magic: How Broadcasters Do It Chapter - 36: Whales and Elephants Chapter - 37: From Stars to Soup: the ITN Revolution Chapter - 38: 633 Squadron: Current Affairs and the Rise of the Reporter Chapter - 39: The Mix Chapter - 40: Interlude: from Home Service to Light Programme? Chapter - 41: The Politics of Television Unit - 6: Two Aristrocracies Chapter - 42: One: Foreign Correspondents, and the Sin of Glamour Chapter - 43: From Adventurers to Missionaries Chapter - 44: The Natives Back Home: Selfish and Dim? Chapter - 45: Good News Shock Chapter - 46: Two: Columnists, from Pundits to Panderers Chapter - 47: The Pundits Chapter - 48: How to be a Columnist Section - iii: Epilogue Section - iv: Notes Index - v: Index