Were Public Attitudes Towards The Second Boer War Influenced By The Press? [20 Marks]

How Far Were Public Attitudes Towards the Second Boer War Influenced by the power Of the Press Public attitudes towards the Second Boer War were heavily influenced by the power of the press. People had become used to reading reports of the colonial wars fought across the British Empire. Due to developments in technology, there was much newspaper coverage of the Second Boer War, reporting news of the war soon after the events happened. There are many examples of public attitudes toward the war being swayed by the press. such as the battle of Spion Kop, Winston Churchill and the Hobhouse Report. All of these had a significant impact on the growing Boer support in Britain. Yet, British citizens experienced an upsurge of patriotism and pride towards the British army. The Second Boer War resulted in the British army and government receiving criticism due to the power of the press. The Battle of Spion Kop entered public consciousness with a significant effect on public opinion. There were numerous photographs released of dead British soldiers piled up. The Times went as far as to comment that “the absence of a clearly reasoned plan meant the country was paying a heavy