The Battle for Public Opinion | The General Strike (Part 5)

The General Strike wasn’t just fought on the picket line. It was also fought in the headlines. 

In this bonus episode, host and expert genealogist Jen Baldwin explores how newspapers shaped public understanding of the 1926 General Strike as it unfolded. Drawing on contemporary press coverage and the words of union leader Will Lawther, she examines how competing narratives influenced opinion, legitimacy, and memory, and why the story of the Strike can look very different depending on who was telling it. This reflective final chapter shows why newspapers don’t just record history. They help decide how it’s remembered. 

Host: Jen Baldwin 

Researchers: Jen Baldwin and Barry Kline 

Oral History Credits: Northumberland Archives 

Editor: CM87Edits 

Script Editors: Niall Cullen, Madeleine Gilbert, and James Plumb 

Producers: Madeleine Gilbert, Ellie Ayton, and James Plumb 

Designer: Michael McCosh 

Executive Producers: Helen Kaye and Steve James

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