The United Kingdom, also known as Great Britain, consists of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. At the high point of its power in the 19th century, the British Empire covered over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the strength of Britain seriously depleted in two world wars and the withdrawal of the Irish republic from the union. The second half of the 20th century witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. The UK is one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, as well as a founding member of NATO and of the British Commonwealth. It is also an active member of the European Union, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union (the European currency called the euro).

British public service broadcaster BBC is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world. The BBC operates multiple TV networks with regional and local TV service. There is a mixed system of public and commercial TV broadcasters, which along with satellite and cable systems provide access to hundreds of TV stations. BBC operates multiple national, regional, and local radio networks with multiple transmission sites. Additionally, there are many commercial radio stations as well as satellite radio services available.

British newspapers can be divided into "quality," or serious-minded newspapers, and tabloids. Quality papers are usually referred to as "broadsheets" because of their larger paper size relative to the tabloids. However, many traditional broadsheets have switched to the more compact-sized format used by tabloids. The Sun has the highest circulation of any daily newspaper in the UK. Its sister paper, The News of the World, had the highest circulation among Sunday newspapers, until a phone hacking scandal led to its closure in 2011. Among the more serious national newspapers, The Daily Telegraph is a center-right broadsheet paper, while The Guardian newspaper is more liberal. The Financial Times, the leading business newspaper, is printed on distinctive salmon-pink paper. Trinity Mirror Plc operates 240 local and regional newspapers in the UK, as well as national newspapers such as The Daily Mirror.

In Scotland, the circulation leaders include the tabloid Daily Record, the Sunday Mail, and the Scottish Sun. The leaders among quality newspapers in Scotland include the Glasgow Herald and The Scotsman.