THE BRITISH PRESS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 17 January 1931, Page 7

THE BRITISH PRESS

DIFFERENT TIMES, DIFFERENT STANDARDS A CURIOUS PHASE (By T.C.L.) The New Zealand newspapers were modelled on the English Press of sixty or seventy years ago. In those days the English journals were very similar in character; they were modest in the presentation of news; they were restrained in their criticism of political and other controversial events; they mirrored tlie happenings of the clay in quiet and accurate language; and they acted with a high sense of responsibility to the public they served. Consequently it is not surprising that the English Press was held up everywhere as a model for the Press of tlie rest of the world. Since then times have changed, and so has the Press. A newspaper was formerly in the possession of a family who shaped its policy with due appreciation of their duty to the public. There was no combination of papers, no trustification. To-day there are both, and in them not a few perceive a danger to the nation. To-day there are only a few proprietors, but many newspapers that influence the minds of the whole kingdom for good or ill. Where a decade or two

ago there were hundreds of newspaper owners, to-day there are only a mere handful. Alfred Harmsworth, afterwards Lord Northcliffe, was tlie first to see the commercial possibilities of a popular Press; and with the London “Mail” he cut across all the traditions and conventions of Fleet Street, and gave the public what he thought they wanted, and not what they had been receiving. He catered chiefly for the product of popular education, and the result was instantaneous success. He hit the popular taste. Others followed soon afterwards, attracted by the large financial returns of the “Daily Mail.” This led to keen competition and a formidable fight for the control of the leading papers of the Kingdom. The result is today that the bulk of the leading journals are in the hands of four groups. Lord Rothermero, brother of and successor to Lord Northcliffe, lias the‘ “Daily Mail,” the London “Evening News,” the “Daily Mriror,” the “Sunday Dispatch” and a chain of evening papers designed ultimately to cover the whole Kingdom. ' The “Daily Mail” also publishes an edition in Birmingham that is available early in the morning even in the far north of Scotland. Lord Camrose (formerly William Ernest Berry) controls the London “Daily Telegraph,” the “Sunday Times,” the “Sunday Chronicle,” also journals in Manchester, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Cardiff, Newcastle, Sheffield, 'Hull and Derby, as well as that grea.t organisation, the Amalgamated Press, which publishes scores of popular weekly and monthly periodicals, most of them started originally by Lord Northcliffe. Lord Beaverbrook has comparatively a small string, but they are all powerful in their class—the “Daily Express,” the “Snday Express” and the “Evening News.” The first named is published simultaneously in London, in the North and in Ireland. Lord Riddell controls the;' “News of the World,” which has the largest circulation of any paper in the world’, viz., nearly four millions, and a host of .weekly and monthly periodicals. ; K Cadbury’s still retain 'their ' interest in the “Daily News,”! with' which has now been linked the ;ill-fate(l v “Daily Chronicle.” and the “Evening Star, ’ whilst Oldham’s Press own “The People” and the “Daily Herald,” “John Bull,” and many other weeklies and monthlies.

The only influential dailies; left are “The Times” and the “Morning Post” in London, the “Manchester Guardian,” the “Yorkshire Post,” the “Edinburgh Scotsman,” and the “Glasgow Herald” in the provinces. Determined efforts have been made from time to time by the trust interests to purchase these well known properties. “The Times” was for a time under the control'of Carmelite House Trust, but on the death of Lord Northcliffe his holding was purchased by Major Astor, MR.,'who was actuated in so doing by a desire to preserve the paper a,s a national institution. In this lie has been very successful. “'The •Times” has regained all its old prestige, and to-day is the most influential journal in England, indeed in the whole world. The other independent journals are being fiercely assailed by the competing popular fpapers, and their foundations, impregnable as they had been, regarded in former times, are by no means secure After the experience of the London “Daily Chronicle” anything may happen. Established by Charles Dickens, the “Chronicle” was* the chief exponent of Liberalism, and had a circulation of nearly a million. Unfortunately it got into the hands of peoole who were more concerned with the advancement of their own political interests than the interests of the paper itself, and consequently it could not withstand the ruthless competition to which it was subjected. That competition involves the giving of insurance, prizes for competitions; and free gifts generally. The “Chronicle” was said to have been losing, over a thousand pounds a day, and would have had to close its doors liad not the merger with the “Daily News” been arranged. ' ’ v ' 'V. ■

The great groups are conducting war on each other on a scale hitherto unknown in the world of newspaper production. They are bent on obtaining circulation, and to that end the staffs are ever on the search of material for stunts,* features and ideas. At one time criticism of political questions and policies was confined to the editorial columns of the English papers. It is no longer, at any rate so far as a large section of the popular, trustified Press is concerned. Their news columns are extensively used for propaganda, and the work is su subtly and capably done that it is difficult to distinguish between what is news and what is propaganda. The reports of political meetings, for instance, are coloured to suit the particular brand of politics espoused by the paper. They are no longer impartial and reliable records, but are what the reporters and sub-editors make of them. The thinking public, which, of course, is in the minority, realise this, as they also deplore it, and turn to “Tire Times,” the “Telegraph” and the “Morning Post” for unbiassed reports of political meetings and happenings. But the great majority of the public see no other'than the reports of the popular dailies, and accordingly their minds become unconsciously biassed. The standard of political education is not high, certainly not as high as it is in the Dominions, because universal suffrage has only come about in recent years, and therefore many are without political instruction or experience. The trustified Press have seized their oportunity of exploiting this large section of the.electorate for their own ends and they now have a. power in their hands greater perhaps than that possessed by any political leader. Responsible people are frankly planned at the growth and misuse of this power. There is no gainsaying the fact that the popular Press is cleverly and cap-

ably conducted, and that its pages are attractively written and got up. They i are very enterprising, and always topical. They employ the best writers and reproduce pictures in a way that is sur- . prising to the American publishers. The magazine side is a development of recent years. Each paper has its page for children, cross-word puzzles l , competitions of various kinds (the “News of the World” offers £1750 per week in cash prizes!), sermons, comic stripy, serial j; stories, short stories, social gossip, special articles—there is no end to their features. English journalism is passing through a curious phase, the outcome of which must have an important influence on the life and mind of the nation.