“At the Stroke of the Midnight Hour”: Lord Mountbatten and the British Media at Indian Independence

Abstract This article examines the portrayal of Indian Independence in the British media with particular attention to the orchestration of official publicity by Lord Mountbatten and his press attaché, Alan Campbell-Johnson. The British press was able to portray Independence as a British achievement, arising almost organically out of its long-term policy and vindicating British rule. The article also explores press portrayal of Indian leaders, the Princely States, the role of the Commonwealth and communal violence.