View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
October 7, 2004updated 22 Nov 2022 1:49pm

Back Issues 07.10.04

By Press Gazette

NEWS TEAM OUT IN MINUTES

The Guildford bombing on 5 October took place only a few yards from the Surrey Daily Advertiser offices. A team of reporters , photographers and subs worked through the weekend to produce a special Monday dawn edition.

RISING SUCCESS OF THE SUN

There was no secret behind the spectacular success of The Sun – which had seen sales of the paper rise from 750,000 to three million aday in three years – according to promotionsmanger Colin Jones. He told a conference in Stockholm that “page for page” The Sun was a far better newspaper than any of its competitors. Jones also said the paper had led the way in increasing pagination. “Now 28-page tabloids are normal and 32 pages common,” he told the conference. The Sun now regularly runs to morethan 50 pages on a weekday and more than 70 ona Saturday.

A NEW LOOK IN FLEET STREET

Three Fleet Street newspapers had new editors. Michael Christiansen was the new editor of the Daily Mirror. He succeeded Tony Miles who had been made editorial director. Bill Deedes had taken over the chair at the Daily Telegraph from Maurice Green and Alastair Burnet had been appointed to the editorship of the Daily Express.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

PM SNUBS WATCHDOG

Prime Minister Harold Wilson snubbed the Press Council, predecessor to the Press Complaints Commission, by spurning its invitation to provide it with evidence of an alleged anti-Labour “smear” campaign by the press. Wilson claimed the Royal Commission on the Press would be a better vehicle to investigate his allegations. Wilson did, however, have kind words for all the reporters who had followed his election campaign around the country. During a speech at a meeting in Northampton, Wilson said: “Whatever I say about the press, the chaps going round with me have a hell of a time going all over the place, and I think they have reported me fairly so far.” He quipped: “For God’s sake don’t print that or you will get sacked.”

BROADCASTERS ON THE PICKET LINE

Famous ITN broadcasters were pictured on the picket line in a pay dispute. Among the well known faces taking industrial action were Gordon Honeycombe (above left), Ivor Mills and Desmond Hamill. The strike ended in those inflationary days with a 19 per cent pay rise for the journalists. Also on the front, Press Gazette reprinted a Sunday Times graphic showing how newspapers divided their election coverage. It showed the massive pro-Labour stance of the Daily Mirror, while the Daily Mail, Express and Daily Telegraph gave far more space to Tory speeches.

EDITORS QUIT THE UNION

Some editors had resigned from the NUJ because of a change in the rules which meant they were no long exempt from taking industrial action. At one time editors were allowed to be “associate” members of the NUJ and were expected to bring out their papers, even if the journalists were in dispute. Under the rule change, editors were told that in the event of the strike they should do no more than their “usual duties”.

33 MILLION COPIES SOLD

Pravda, started in St. Petersburg at the suggestion of Lenin, was claiming the world’s biggest newspaper sale – a spectacular 33 million copies. But as Press Gazette pointed out, it probably had the smallest pagination of any mass market newspaper.

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network