This course will begin a year – almost to the day – after the biggest political earthquake in modern British history. The unexpected referendum decision by the voters of the UK to leave the European Union changed everything, including the British Prime Minister. The politicians, lawyers, economists and business people are still struggling to come to terms with the impact and practical repercussions of this shock, whilst political journalists are trying to interpret and explain a transformed landscape.The world in which the political journalists operate is changing too. In recent decades the balance of power between politicians and journalists has been shifting, influenced by a range of factors, such as media ownership, a contracting but still highly competitive newspaper industry and the growth of new media as a prime source of information and comment.Politics in the UK, as in the US, has become more strident and aggressive in recent years. Public trust in British politicians is low and, worryingly, trust in journalists is waning. The reasons for this are complex, and will be one of the key issues to consider during this course.The course will explore the way in which the media reports politics and how journalists are adjusting – or failing to adjust – to the new realities. We will hear from leading practitioners of political journalism as well as from those who seek to influence them – the “spin doctors” and the pressure groups. We will observe politicians and political journalists in action and spend time in the “mother of parliaments” at Westminster.