Sunday, July 27, 2008

A Front Page Story?

The Mail on Sunday's front page story concerns a "Harrod's Executive" who is being questioned about an alleged sexual assault on a 15 year old schoolgirl. A complaint has been made to Surrey Police, but as the alleged offence was committed in West London, the Met have taken over the inquiry.

I ask myself why this is a front page story.

Is it...

a) The obvious: Paul Dacre's desire to keep bad stories about Gordon Brown off his front page

or

b) The perhaps not so obvious


22 comments:

Anonymous said...

it is A the sooner that man goes the happier the readership if the Daily Mail.They all know he is a closet Gordon! just read yesterdays editorial.

Anonymous said...

As a regular "Daily Mail" reader (and I don't care who knows it) I have found that the "Mail" editorials tend to swing from either saying Brown is the leading politician of his generation,the only one who can steer us through this crisis or he's basically a dis-appointment and that Cameron is the one to make the necessary change the country needs. They appear totally schizoid on the subject and either Dacre can't make his mind up to support Brown or Cameron or whenever he's away from the office someone with wildly diverging views takes over writing the editorials.

The editorial conference on his return probably goes like this "Who the **** wrote yesterday's editorial criticising Brown and praising Cameron. If I've said it once I've said it twice - this paper with its strong Conservative links supports New Labour not the Green Conservatives although possibly it's the other way round depending on the opinion polls. Still the "Mail" has always been staunch in it's support for its position on matters of substance - now we're leading on what ? - Obama's visit to UK;Labour Party Turmoil - no I think probably the story about the Harrod's Executive and the 15 year old is what the Mail readers want and remember that follows on from our piece yesterday getting angry about 150,000 stupid ******s who may be unable to get their passports for the holidays they're going on next week because they were too stupid to realise it takes at least 14 days to get your passport renewed/issued ignoring any possible strike action and if you can trawl to-days Sundays for the lead in Monday's edition that'll be great but I'm not sure we'll go with he Straw story I'd prefer the Emilia Fox story - attractive young female star sells copies - about endangered butterflies on the front page which we can link into global warming and link to the UK under Labour being at the forefront of legislation to reduce carbon emissions. We can also do a promo - collect vouchers for wildflower seeds to plant a wildflower garden and do your bit to save wild life of Britain - I can see it now Daily Mail readers save the Cabbage White from extinction ! Great that's it then - gotta dash"

strapworld said...

I agree with Ken. Definately a).

Dacre has got to go. I stopped buying the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday because of the editorials and the unbelievable tripe written by that oath Peter Oborne, who obviously believes his readers cannot recall what he wrote the week before!

Whilst I miss the sports coverage I have found the internet provides me with so much more information and the money saved goes towards my holiday fund!

DiscoveredJoys said...

When newspapers were profitable they could afford to take a high-minded editorial stance, with merely a nod in the direction of their respective sector of readers views.

Now that newspapers are in financial difficulties most believe that they must ape comics and sell 'entertainment' while pandering to their reader's predjudices.

Rather like political parties really.

Anonymous said...

Brown is finished. Why the editor is so far up the backside of a man that is a total loser amazes me.

Normally the tabloids don't go near losers.

Anonymous said...

The Dacre/Brown relationship is an odd one but as long as Dacre is alive and shifting papers surely his job is safe? Dacre knows his readersip better than anyone else.

Anonymous said...

If the executive is who I think it is, then it deserves to be the front page lead

Bill Quango MP said...

Gordon gets the "Daily Mail" and "The Mirror" every day. Balanced out with news from the One Show and Channel five news.
That's why he's convinced everything is fine and he's doing a good job.
He's a bit worried about Amy Whine-horse though.

Unknown said...

Does Dacre edit the Sunday?

Genuine question, not smart arse-ery.

Iain Dale said...

Paul Dacre is editor in chief. Peter Wright is the editor of the MoS.

Anonymous said...

This is but a mere bagatelle.

If one was dependent upon "Scotland on Sunday" to get a picture of how the SNP sits in Scotland, you would be led to consider that they were a shade less scary than Osama Bin Laden.

The paper carries a picture of Obama (of course) and the headline, "Labour considers suicide election".

And of course, the lovely Nicola is accused of causing death in hospitals and the SNP, it is alleged, is going back on its promise to scrap council tax. (They do mention that this is entirely due to the Government threat to withdraw £400 million of funding, hitherto provided for the extant council tax)

I havn't read the Herald this morning, but it probably leads with "SNP to abolish houshold pets"

It is absolutely scandalous how low the Scottish dead tree press are prepared to go.

Angry. I am effing angry.

More objective commentators are musing on the possibility today of a Quebec-style set up North of the border. Whatever happens, it is time that the Scottish media woke up to the fact that the SNP is the future of Scotland. Better get used to it folks.

Anonymous said...

You're spot on about the Mail. It's a.
They're always spinning against Cameron. When he suggested we should take some responsibility for our lives, Mail spun it into Cameron has a go at fat people. thought I was reading the Mirror for a minute that day. Then there's MoS that uses Hitchens to attack Cameron.

Chris K said...

The Mail is part of a left-wing conspiracy to prop up Gordon Brown?

The Mail????

They might never be nice about Cameron. But the Mail's political coverage is always negative about everyone. It is even-handedly poisonous.

Or at least that's what I always thought!

Anonymous said...

Just think about it. Why would they put this on the front page unless they knew it wasn't just a foot soldier?

As Iain hints, this has nothing to do with politics.

Anonymous said...

Just think about it. Why would they put this on the front page unless they knew it wasn't just a foot soldier?

As Iain hints, this has nothing to do with politics.

Anonymous said...

Dacre and Brown are mates. Brown gave Dacre a job looking into changing the '30 year' rule on government files for two reasons.

1. To bring the time limit down so Brown can dig stuff about the Tory years in office and

2. The job comes with a gong at the end of it and that'll keep Dacre's editorials on side, despite the readers getting pissed off with the pro-Brown approach.

Brown's enthusiasm for stunts are not be underestimated. During the 2005 election he got somebody on the FT to put in FOI on how much black Wednesday cost. As it turned out, not very much at all...and Brown supported the whole ERM entry anyway.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry, Iain, but I simply couldn't read beyond your egregious 'greengrocer's apostrophe' in - grits teeth to re-type the error - Harrod's.

Anonymous said...

obviously it's a case of the mail on sunday having the splash all ready and involving a good name and then having to pull the name but refusing to tone down the story.

Anonymous said...

The Mail is in a difficult position. Broon is obviously useless and I am sure they recognise it. But Dacre obviously doesn't want to praise (the equally useless) Dave. A fine line. Dave and Broon are the two worst party leaders this country has had. Ever. To quote Paul Merton, you'd be better off with Bagpuss.

Anonymous said...

Th Sun's running with it too, so i suspect what others suspect....

Anonymous said...

A greengrocer's apostrophe is generally erroneously applied to a plural, which is not the case here. The apostrophe is justified but misplaced, as the Executive belongs to Harrods, not Harrod;
hence it should be "Harrods' executive".

The Military Wing Of The BBC said...

Wasn't there an accusation that The Daily Express ownership was really something to do with it being a front for owners of Harrods?

Hence mud against the Harrods "you are part of the MI6 conspiracy" management somehow sticks on The Daily "house prices to rise by 25%" Express.

The truth is out there.

- Bleeding on the side of every right minded English Man's road.

Oh well, we were only the best civilisation developed in History.