Reading for Battle
Battle Readings is a regularly updated compilation of articles, essays, and opinion pieces relevant to the themes of the Battle of Ideas.
Choose a theme from the listing on the left to narrow your search, or view all readings.
Media
The public broadcaster without a public
The BBC’s biggest problem is that it patronises and segments its audience.
Blair Spowart, spiked, 15 July 2015
The BBC’s biggest problem is that it patronises and segments its audience.
Blair Spowart, spiked, 15 July 2015
Auntie, why are you so scared of change?
The BBC should realise that shake-ups are good.
Andrew Orlowski, spiked, 15 July 2015
The BBC should realise that shake-ups are good.
Andrew Orlowski, spiked, 15 July 2015
UK Government's surveillance plans could put citizens, economy and entire internet at risk
Proposals are 'unworkable in practice, raise enormous legal and ethical questions, and would undo progress on security at a time when internet vulnerabilities are causing extreme economic harm', leading experts argue
Andrew Griffin, Independent, 8 July 2015
Proposals are 'unworkable in practice, raise enormous legal and ethical questions, and would undo progress on security at a time when internet vulnerabilities are causing extreme economic harm', leading experts argue
Andrew Griffin, Independent, 8 July 2015
The Guardian view on the licence fee: a time to rally round the BBC
The way to stop the Conservatives marginalising the corporation is to make them realise that an assault would spell political disaster
Guardian, 1 July 2015
The way to stop the Conservatives marginalising the corporation is to make them realise that an assault would spell political disaster
Guardian, 1 July 2015
The teen angst of the protein world protests
Feminism poses a bigger threat to womanhood than those ads ever could.
Ella Whelan, spiked, 28 April 2015
Feminism poses a bigger threat to womanhood than those ads ever could.
Ella Whelan, spiked, 28 April 2015
Time to Shout About Mental Health
Mental illness is no respecter of wealth, class, creed, nationality, sex or job. It just is, and the sooner we are as open about our mental health as we are about our physical health, the happier and better off as nations we will all be.
Alastair Campbell , Huffington Post, 20 April 2015
Mental illness is no respecter of wealth, class, creed, nationality, sex or job. It just is, and the sooner we are as open about our mental health as we are about our physical health, the happier and better off as nations we will all be.
Alastair Campbell , Huffington Post, 20 April 2015
Good boobs, Bad boobs: how feminists police women’s bodies
Middle-class breasts on Instagram – good. Big tits in the Sun – bad.
Ella Whelan, spiked, 9 April 2015
Middle-class breasts on Instagram – good. Big tits in the Sun – bad.
Ella Whelan, spiked, 9 April 2015
The Rise of Visual Content and the Fall of Attention Spans
Over the past few years visual content has risen to the top as a preferred form of social media content. Seeing is believing, and in 2015 this visual trend will continue and strengthen as our attention spans weaken.
Lori McNee, Fine Art Tips, 13 January 2015
Over the past few years visual content has risen to the top as a preferred form of social media content. Seeing is believing, and in 2015 this visual trend will continue and strengthen as our attention spans weaken.
Lori McNee, Fine Art Tips, 13 January 2015
Did 2014 mark the beginning of the end for mental health stigma?
A lot of dreadful things happened in 2014. But one potential positive trend is that it seemed increasingly difficult to get away with dismissing or condemning those with mental health problems. Is this an anomaly, or is the tide really turning against mental health stigma?
Dean Burnett, Guardian, 19 December 2014
A lot of dreadful things happened in 2014. But one potential positive trend is that it seemed increasingly difficult to get away with dismissing or condemning those with mental health problems. Is this an anomaly, or is the tide really turning against mental health stigma?
Dean Burnett, Guardian, 19 December 2014
Stop the press: the media after Leveson
"The rules of the game at The Battle of Ideas makes beating about the bush impossible. When you are given 5 minutes to make your point, you either say something essential, or you reveal that you have nothing really to say. This eliminates 'the unbearable lightness' of speculation that haunts public debate."
Albena Azmanova, social philosopher, political commentator and activist
follow the Academy of Ideas
