Today’s ObjectivesToday’s Objectives11 To understand the birth of the New JournalismTo understand the birth of the New Journalism

22 The parts played by W T Stead and Alfred The parts played by W T Stead and Alfred HarmsworthHarmsworth

33 Why New Journalism was controversialWhy New Journalism was controversial• Profit versus educationProfit versus education• Analysis versus cheerleading Analysis versus cheerleading • Liberalism betrayed?Liberalism betrayed?

44 The commercial value of hard newsThe commercial value of hard news

““Men of great ability and high Men of great ability and high character (who) gave their best character (who) gave their best to what they conceived to be a to what they conceived to be a public service without seeking public service without seeking recognition or reward beyond a recognition or reward beyond a very moderate emolument for very moderate emolument for their labour.”their labour.”

J A Spender, Mid Victorian J A Spender, Mid Victorian JournalistJournalist

Pall Mall GazettePall Mall Gazette31 January 190031 January 1900

“…“…it may be thought indeed that in it may be thought indeed that in some newspaper enterprise of the some newspaper enterprise of the present day there is too much, rather present day there is too much, rather than too little of the prosaic commercial than too little of the prosaic commercial sprit. The community suffers…when a sprit. The community suffers…when a paper is worked for money-making paper is worked for money-making purposes alone, like a shop or a factory purposes alone, like a shop or a factory or a patent medicine.”or a patent medicine.”

Fox Bourne Liberal Journalist and Fox Bourne Liberal Journalist and PoliticianPolitician

““We have had opportunities of observing a We have had opportunities of observing a new journalism which a clever and new journalism which a clever and energetic man has lately invented. It has energetic man has lately invented. It has much to recommend it; it is full of ability, much to recommend it; it is full of ability, novelty, variety sensation, sympathy, novelty, variety sensation, sympathy, generous instincts; its one great fault that generous instincts; its one great fault that it is feather brained.it is feather brained. It throws out It throws out assertions at a venture because it wishes assertions at a venture because it wishes them true; does not correct either them or them true; does not correct either them or itself, if they are false; and to get at the itself, if they are false; and to get at the state of things as they really are seems to state of things as they really are seems to feel no concern whatever.”feel no concern whatever.”Matthew Arnold, Poet and Cultural CriticMatthew Arnold, Poet and Cultural Critic

Father of the New Father of the New Journalism?Journalism?

Believed in the press as Believed in the press as “…the greatest agency for “…the greatest agency for influencing public opinion in the world" and "the true influencing public opinion in the world" and "the true and only lever by which thrones and governments and only lever by which thrones and governments could be shaken and the masses of the people could be shaken and the masses of the people raised.”raised.”

““Yesterday morning, J. Dennett, the Yesterday morning, J. Dennett, the miserable and decrepit old man, who was miserable and decrepit old man, who was convicted on Friday of the wilful murder of convicted on Friday of the wilful murder of Jane Rogers, was executed…He seemed Jane Rogers, was executed…He seemed much agitated when he came upon the much agitated when he came upon the scaffold: and continued to tremble scaffold: and continued to tremble violently until he was turned off, when his violently until he was turned off, when his hands clasped together and he seemed to hands clasped together and he seemed to die without the least struggle. After die without the least struggle. After hanging the usual time, his body was hanging the usual time, his body was delivered over to the surgeons for delivered over to the surgeons for dissection.”dissection.”

““We believe that the reader of the daily journal longs We believe that the reader of the daily journal longs for more than mere politics; and we shall present him for more than mere politics; and we shall present him with plenty of entirely unpolitical literature – with plenty of entirely unpolitical literature – sometimes humorous, sometimes pathetic; anecdotal, sometimes humorous, sometimes pathetic; anecdotal, statistical, the craze for fashions and the arts of statistical, the craze for fashions and the arts of housekeeping and now and then, a short, dramatic and housekeeping and now and then, a short, dramatic and picturesque tale. In our reporting columns we shall do picturesque tale. In our reporting columns we shall do away with the hackneyed style of obsolete journalism; away with the hackneyed style of obsolete journalism; and the men and women that figure in the forum or the and the men and women that figure in the forum or the pulpit or the law court shall be presented as they are – pulpit or the law court shall be presented as they are – living, breathing, in blushes or in tears – and not merely living, breathing, in blushes or in tears – and not merely by the dead words that they utter. Our ideal is to leave by the dead words that they utter. Our ideal is to leave no event unrecorded; to be earliest in the field with no event unrecorded; to be earliest in the field with every item of news; to be thorough and unmistakable in every item of news; to be thorough and unmistakable in our meaning; to be animated, readable and stirring.”our meaning; to be animated, readable and stirring.”

T P O’Connor, Editor and Proprietor T P O’Connor, Editor and Proprietor The Star in the first edition published 17The Star in the first edition published 17thth January 1888 January 1888

Alfred HarmsworthAlfred Harmsworth1865 - 19221865 - 1922

“…“…the note of the Daily Mail is not so much the note of the Daily Mail is not so much economy of price as concise and compactness. It economy of price as concise and compactness. It is essentially the busy man’s paper. It is no is essentially the busy man’s paper. It is no secret that remarkable new inventions have just secret that remarkable new inventions have just come to the help of the press. Our type is set by come to the help of the press. Our type is set by machinery, we can produce 20,000 copies per machinery, we can produce 20,000 copies per hour, cut, folded and, if necessary, with the hour, cut, folded and, if necessary, with the pages pasted together! Our stereotyping pages pasted together! Our stereotyping arrangements, engines and machines are of the arrangements, engines and machines are of the latest English and American construction, and it latest English and American construction, and it is the use of these inventions on a scale is the use of these inventions on a scale unprecedented in any English newspaper office unprecedented in any English newspaper office that enables the Daily Mail to effect a saving of that enables the Daily Mail to effect a saving of from 30 to 50 percent, and be sold at half the from 30 to 50 percent, and be sold at half the price of its contemporaries.”price of its contemporaries.”

““You could search the Victorian papers in vain You could search the Victorian papers in vain for any reference to changing fashions, for for any reference to changing fashions, for instance. You could not find in them anything instance. You could not find in them anything that would help you to understand the that would help you to understand the personalities of public men. We cannot get personalities of public men. We cannot get from them a clear and complete picture of the from them a clear and complete picture of the times in which they were published, as one times in which they were published, as one could from the Daily Mail. Before that was could from the Daily Mail. Before that was published, journalism dealt only with a few published, journalism dealt only with a few aspects of life. What we did was to extend its aspects of life. What we did was to extend its purview to life as a whole.”purview to life as a whole.”

Lord Northcliffe (formerly Alfred Harmsworth)Lord Northcliffe (formerly Alfred Harmsworth)

““It reported the news – wars (an important selling It reported the news – wars (an important selling point) the Empire, politics, crime, accidents, point) the Empire, politics, crime, accidents, sport. But it was also full of chat and gossip, sport. But it was also full of chat and gossip, regaling readers with trivia about the great and regaling readers with trivia about the great and famous, and thereby creating a spurious sense of famous, and thereby creating a spurious sense of knowingness and intimacy. A story in the first knowingness and intimacy. A story in the first issue about ‘our cycling MPs’ gave a nudge that, issue about ‘our cycling MPs’ gave a nudge that, in the saddle, ‘public men’ were plain folks like in the saddle, ‘public men’ were plain folks like the rest of us. One headline ‘VERY ORDINARY the rest of us. One headline ‘VERY ORDINARY PEOPLE OFTEN MISTAKEN FOR ROYALTY’ took PEOPLE OFTEN MISTAKEN FOR ROYALTY’ took this idea to the extreme. Not only were royalty this idea to the extreme. Not only were royalty ordinary human beings: they were literally ordinary human beings: they were literally indistinguishable from the rest of us. In every indistinguishable from the rest of us. In every Daily Mail reader lurked a prince or princess.”Daily Mail reader lurked a prince or princess.”

Professor Colin Seymour-UreProfessor Colin Seymour-Ure

““I am but a comparatively young journalist, but I I am but a comparatively young journalist, but I have seen Cabinets upset, Ministers driven into have seen Cabinets upset, Ministers driven into retirement, laws repealed, great social reforms retirement, laws repealed, great social reforms initiated, Bills transformed, estimates initiated, Bills transformed, estimates remodelled, programmes modified, Acts passed, remodelled, programmes modified, Acts passed, generals nominated, governors appointed, armies generals nominated, governors appointed, armies sent hither and thither , war proclaimed and war sent hither and thither , war proclaimed and war averted, by the agency of newspapers.”averted, by the agency of newspapers.”

W T SteadW T Stead

“The appearance of Alfred Harmsworth’s Daily Mail in 1896 coincided with the high point of nineteenth-century imperialism. In the last thirty years of the century the British Empire increased enormously in size, covering by 1900 one fifth of the world’s land surface. Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations provoked Beatrice Webb to note in her diary in June 1897: ‘Imperialism in the air – all classes drunk with sight-seeing and hysterical loyalty.”

Dr Chandrika Kaul

Three Dedicated Three Dedicated ImperialistsImperialists

Strachey of the Spectator

Garvin of the Observer

Scott of the Guardian

One of the most thrilling scenes in this story of One of the most thrilling scenes in this story of human suffering and destruction was when a human suffering and destruction was when a bootmaker named Moore, aged twenty-nine, was bootmaker named Moore, aged twenty-nine, was seen to appear at front window of the second floor, seen to appear at front window of the second floor, with his clothes all alight. The room was at the time with his clothes all alight. The room was at the time one dense mass of flame, and escape was impossible. one dense mass of flame, and escape was impossible. In the fierce light spectators plainly perceived the In the fierce light spectators plainly perceived the awful look of despair written on the poor fellow’s awful look of despair written on the poor fellow’s face. Only one moment did he stand at the window, face. Only one moment did he stand at the window, and then he threw himself into the street below. A and then he threw himself into the street below. A sickening feeling passed through the crowd when it sickening feeling passed through the crowd when it was seen that Moore had miscalculated his distance, was seen that Moore had miscalculated his distance, and that his body was literally impaled on the metal and that his body was literally impaled on the metal spear-heads of the railings in front of the house. He spear-heads of the railings in front of the house. He was heard to murmur, I tried to save them and then I was heard to murmur, I tried to save them and then I jumped.”jumped.”

Daily Mail News Report from 1896Daily Mail News Report from 1896

Crime Sells NewspapersCrime Sells Newspapers

““The officer met Collins, his hands and clothes The officer met Collins, his hands and clothes stained with blood, walking calmly out through the stained with blood, walking calmly out through the farm gateway, carrying in one hand the BOWL farm gateway, carrying in one hand the BOWL CONTAINING A HUMAN HEAD and in the other CONTAINING A HUMAN HEAD and in the other the double barrelled gun and some dead chickens. the double barrelled gun and some dead chickens. Cook asked him what he had been doing, to which Cook asked him what he had been doing, to which Collins replied that he had been killing a sheep…Collins replied that he had been killing a sheep…and handed the constable the bowl with its ghastly and handed the constable the bowl with its ghastly contents. Cook cried out ‘Why, you have committed contents. Cook cried out ‘Why, you have committed murder! ’Collins, in a dazed style, replied ‘Have I? murder! ’Collins, in a dazed style, replied ‘Have I? I am sorry. Let me kiss you,’ and suiting the action I am sorry. Let me kiss you,’ and suiting the action to the word, the murderer stooped down to to the word, the murderer stooped down to embrace the policeman.”embrace the policeman.”

Daily Mail, 13 September 1896Daily Mail, 13 September 1896

Today’s ObjectivesToday’s Objectives11 To understand the birth of the New JournalismTo understand the birth of the New Journalism

22 The parts played by W T Stead and Alfred The parts played by W T Stead and Alfred HarmsworthHarmsworth

33 Why New Journalism was controversialWhy New Journalism was controversial• Profit versus educationProfit versus education• Analysis versus cheerleading Analysis versus cheerleading • Liberalism betrayed?Liberalism betrayed?

44 The commercial value of hard newsThe commercial value of hard news