Newspapers: Decline and fall or renaissance?

[Hugo]

Yes and stop buying the DFM in future

[Ian]

Excellent article about the DFM's editor:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/may/14/is-paul-dacre-most-dangerous-man-in-britain-daily-mail

[DaveR]

Mail Men is a great book, I read it last week.

Having read it, I learnt that the Daily Mail has been voted (by other newspapers) Newspaper of the Year seven times, more than any other newspaper.

I also learnt that it was the Daily Mail that was responsible for the campaign to bring the killers of Stephen Lawrence to justice:
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/jan/04/stephen-lawrence-parents-daily-mail

"The parents of Stephen Lawrence have praised the Daily Mail for "going out on a limb" and branding suspects in the death of their son as "murderers" 15 years ago.

They led the tributes to the paper that campaigned for justice ever since. David Cameron said the Lawrences were helped enormously by the paper while Labour leader Ed Miliband said it played an "honourable role" in helping to bring the killers to heel.

Neville Lawrence, the teenager's father, said that along with the intervention of Nelson Mandela, the Daily Mail's campaign was the crucial turning point in the case.And Doreen Lawrence, Stephen's mother said the landmark front page of the Daily Mail on 14 February 1997 branding five suspects as "Murderers" made the case matter to the whole country."

ps. In case anyone accuses me of favouritism, can I point out that I read The Times. 

[Ian]

Perhaps all is not as it seems:

"It is, however, disingenuous of Dacre to claim that the Stephen Lawrence Family Campaign would have petered out if his paper had not ridden heroically to its rescue. The "Murderers" story appeared in February 1997, almost four years after Stephen was killed. For much of the intervening period the mainstream press, including the Daily Mail, were openly hostile and suspicious of a family that so vocally criticised the police."

[born2run]

Hang on a minute Ian are you trying to imply that the Daily Mail hasn't always been a beacon for ethnic rights and stood up valiantly for the oppressed?

[Ian]

 

[Ian]

The independent group Reporters Without Borders has produced its annual list of countries and their degree of press freedom. Our position has slipped two places, owing mainly the the treatment of reporters in Northern Ireland.

Best countries for press freedom

1. Norway
2. Finland
3. Denmark
4. Sweden
5. Netherlands
6. Jamaica
7. Costa Rica
8. Switzerland
9. New Zealand
10. Portugal

26. Australia
35. United Kingdom
45. United States

Worst countries for press freedom

171. Cuba
172. Laos
173. Iran
174. Syria
175. Vietnam
176. Djibouti
177. China
178. Eritrea
179. Turkmenistan
180. North Korea