UK TV news offers limited coverage of May elections, Cardiff study finds
Independence debates overshadow other issues in Scottish and Welsh election reporting, with Channel 4 News leading in-depth coverage
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UK-wide television news has so far given only sporadic attention to the upcoming May elections in England, Scotland, and Wales, according to new research from Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture.
The study analysed flagship news bulletins—BBC News at Ten, ITV News at Ten, and Channel 4 News—between 2 March and 20 April 2026. It found that coverage has been uneven and often brief, with Channel 4 News standing out for its more consistent and detailed reporting.
When Scottish and Welsh elections do make it onto the national news agenda, the issue of independence dominates, often at the expense of other policy discussions. Lead researcher Dr Maxwell Modell noted that while independence is important, its prominence “can narrow the space for discussion of other policy areas that devolved governments are responsible for and that voters experience in their everyday lives.”
BBC News at Ten has mostly run short segments—around 30 seconds—focused on campaign launches and headline pledges, while ITV News at Ten has aired just two items on the elections so far. Notably, early manifesto launches by the Welsh Conservatives and Reform UK received no UK-wide TV coverage.
The analysis also suggests Labour and the SNP have received slightly more attention than other parties, though all major parties have been referenced in line with broadcaster guidelines. However, Professor Stephen Cushion, project lead, warned that “covering a wider range of parties within limited airtime may result in a reduction in the depth of policy scrutiny in network news reporting.”
The research is part of the AHRC-funded Enhancing Impartiality project. Further analysis will monitor how coverage evolves as polling day nears.