THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY June 1, 1957
From the London End Crisis in Britain's Press
THE dwindling number of resulted in the 'Herald's' deci ing revenue becomes increasing British provincial daily sion to choose the former in the ly dependent on the circulation newspapers, the persistent talk hope that circulation will in levels and the class of readers of rising costs and merges in crease but since its readers find which particular newspaper's Fleet Street, the particularly that they obtain more for their reach. For example, the famous high casualty rate among week money for this type of journal Hulton Survey of 1955 showed lies and now the impending ism in the 'Daily Mirror', the that 17.4 per cent of the 1.3 amalgamation of the two na 'Herald' is losing both types of million of "well-to-do" readers tional dailies—'News Chronicle' readers so that today it has a in the country bought the and the 'Daily Herald' brings to circulation of no more than 1½. 'Times'. The majority of this the open a crisis, which for some million compared to over 2¼ income group (53 per cent) years was, in terms of news, million in 1948. The circulation however read the less ponderous confined to the editorial rooms of the 'Chonicle' too has ten but starkly conservative 'Daily or the private meetings of ded to fall over the past 10 Mail' and 'Daily Telegraph'. The anxious boards of directors. The years. It is now being suggested "working class or the poor" crisis takes the broadest possi that the circulation of these group who represented 26,3 ble character. Britain has the two dailies do not overlap and million of the aggregate reader highest newspaper reading popu that theoretically, the new ship preferred the sensational lation in the world—in terms combined paper would have a 'Daily Mirror' and 'Daily Ex of newsprint consumed per head circulation of over 3 million and press. In accordance with sur of the population. And the ever- so come within the competing veys of this character, advertis dwindling number of dailies range of the 'Daily Mirror' and ing is undertaken depending (particularly in the provinces) 'Daily Express' so that adver upon the "class" of reader whose increasingly places this vast tising revenue will increase interest is sought. And Here readership in the hands of fewer considerably. the 'Daily Herald' and 'News and fewer newspapers. In this The question of advertising Chronicle' appear to occupy the situation the "freedom of the revenue brings the economics of worst of all worlds—their read press" becomes a myth or as newspaper production into ers come in small percentages one member of Parliament put sharp focus. According to a surveyed. it, a "non-existent reality". study published by 'Political and While there is a persistenr By far the most visible sign Economic Planning', the total need to increase circulation and of the crisis is the reported dis national expenditure on adverti establish a "class" readership, cussions of a merger between the sing amounted to £330 million there is also the considerable 'News Chronicle' and the 'Daily in 1954; of this over 15 per cent rise in costs of newspaper pro Herald'. Both are national went to the national dailies of duction, which it is alleged, is dailies espousing, in an obscurely London. In the same study it not easy to control. Over 45 British style, radical causes. The was found that of the aggregate per cent of the cost of news 'Chronicle' belongs to the income of a representative mass paper production is the cost of Cadbury family of chocolate circulating daily, 40 per cent newsprint and ink and with fame and supports with com came from advertising revenue. newsprint at £60 per ton, news plete independence the views of With advertising increasingly papers cannot make profits the Liberal Party. The gradual becoming a high specialised fun anything comparable to that of extinction of the Liberal Party ction wholly in the hands of pre-war. Today the import of has caused the 'Chronicle to market research institutions, newsprint is confined to a single pursue what it calls a "mission the whole question of advertis organisation controlled in turn of enlightenment", but by and large, its criticisms of the more blatant forms of contemporary unenlightenment are of the milk and water type. The 'Herald' is supposed to be the spokesman of the Labour Party and the Trades Union Congress. Its ownership is divided between the TUC and Odhams Press. Ever since 1948 its circulation has been falling largely because of its supreme inability to present to the public an acceptable mix ture of the "publish and be damned" type of popular jour nalism and responsible political propaganda. This inability has 679 June 1, 1957 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY by the larger newspapers. This news are its most essential that the 'publish-and-be-damn- organisation is known to be characteristics. And it is inevi ed' school would flourish. And it making a profit of about £8 on table that those sections of the is further argued that this must every ton imported and these British press which choose the be the essential price of free profits are distributed to the "publish and be damned" ap dom. These are certainly the newspaper owners concerned. proach should, in terms of cir type of truisms which have the Further, the biggest newspaper culation, rise to the zenith of purpose of fostering completely groups in the country are them power and influence. It is here and wholly unregulated insti selves large investors in news that the art of journalism has tutions. Carried to their logic print production so that indirect been debased into an art of al conclusion, these truisms ly they benefit from the higher telling paper and ink at a profit. provide the validity for an ever- level of newsprint costs. It is This debasement must necess increasing concentration of the the smaller newspapers which arily impinge on democracy and power of the press in fewer and find the current cost unduly its free institutions. The grow fewer hands. And it can be heavy and it is their future ing concentration of the press argued that this, in turn, nega- which is at stake. in fewer and fewer hands tends tivates the very freedom which to make this prospect a highly the absence of regulation is de The power of the press—and realistic one. It has been argued signed to foster. The present it is indeed a giant-size power- that the public gets the press crisis will be resolved but the is increasingly being vested in a it deserves and that if the mass solution will put the bulk of the smaller and smaller group of reading population prefer , a British newspaper industry in newspaper owners. The London somewhat lower standard of the hands of an extremely smalt 'Daily Mail' with an evening journalism, then it is inevitable number of press giants. paper is controlled by the Ro- thermere group. With an issued capital of £10½ million this group encompasses within its reach the financial and editorial policy of the 'Daily Sketch' (the 'Daily Mirror' rival), a number of provincial newspapers, a share in Newsprint Supplies Limited which imports news print into the United Kingdom and a major interest in inde pendent television. This group's political policy is as Lord Rothermere put it: "The 'Daily Mail' of today and the 'Daily Mail' of tomor row will strive to emulate the ideals of Britain and the British Empire and Common wealth. . . it is the embodi ment and mouthpiece of the Imperial Idea'' Next in importance is the Cam- rose Group which own the 'Daily Telegraph' and who are by fam ily ties strongly linked to the Kemsley group of newspapers. The Times' and the 'Observer', although they differ on occasions on policy, have the common origin and financial support of the fabulous Astors. The Bea- verbrook press encompasses the 'Daily Express' and the 'Evening Standard'. And these are the groups in which the British newspaper industry is being concentrated.
The British mass circulation press has features which have no parallel in other countries. Extremes in the standard of news presentation and choice of 680