The British press on the preparation of W. Runciman’s mission to Czechoslovakia (July–August 1938)

The paper analyses the first articles in the British press devoted to the Runciman Mission, one of Britain’s attempts to resolve the Sudeten German conflict through  diplomatic  means.  Chronologically,  the  study is limited to the period from the 26th of July to the 3rd of August, 1938: this is when the first mentions of the mission appeared in the British newspapers. The interpretations of the British diplomatic initiative in the press varied. The largest and most influential media sources of the British Empire of that time are examined: the Daily Express, the Daily Herald and the News Chronicle, which were conservative, liberal and labour-oriented, respectively. In addition, the article analyses the publications in The Daily Worker and Action, which makes it possible to trace the viewpoint of the representatives of the extreme spectrum of British politics: the Communist Party of Great Britain and the Union of Fascists. It is important to note that in the 1930s, the periodical press was one of the key channels for shaping public opinion and perceiving international events, by the level of influence falling short to radio broadcasting only. Thus, it was the periodicals that had a significant impact on the formation of mass perceptions of foreign policy crises, which necessitates their analysis within the context of this research.

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