View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
March 10, 2005updated 22 Nov 2022 2:37pm

Back Issues 11.03.05

By Press Gazette

MARCH 1985

BY JON SLATTERY

About turn

When
your readers are made up of eagle-eyed journalists it is hard to get
away with editorial cock-ups. Press Gazette certainly didn’t get away
with reversing its front page colour picture of the Queen’s visit to
The Times .

It was quickly picked up by correspondents to the
letters page, who noted Rupert Murdoch was sporting a white
handkerchief in the top pocket on the right side of his jacket and the
Queen’s coat was buttoned on the right.

The battle of the giants that never materialised

It
was the newspaper war that never happened. Press Gazette was excitedly
previewing the battle due that autumn between London’s Evening Standard
and Rupert Murdoch’s planned new title for the capital, The Post. The
article noted: “Murdoch has almost an embarrassment of printing
capacity at his Tower Hamlets, Docklands site.”

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

In the end it
was used to print Murdoch’s national titles when News International
abandoned Fleet Street for Wapping, cutting out the production unions.
The planned-for Post never materialised, leaving some cynics to claim
it was an elaborate cover for the flit from Fleet Street. Others insist
the plan was genuine and London would have had a second daily paper but
for the intransigence of the print unions.

A sign of the times

Prejudice
against gays surfaced at The Sunday Times in the composing room. It
happened after one of the paper’s journalists, Harry Coen, went on
Newsnight and discussed how he had undergone a test for AIDS, which had
proved negative. Nevertheless, Press Gazette reported, it did not
reassure members of The Sunday Times NGA print chapel. An official
request was made for Coen to be removed from the composing room floor
where he was stone subbing.

Coen refused to leave, carried out his work and told the printers he would return the next week.

Newspapers cautioned for publishing addresses

The
Mail on Sunday was rapped by the Press Council for printing the address
and phone number of Tony Chater, editor of the communist daily, the
Morning Star . It followed the Star’s decision to print the address of
the founder of the miners’ wives back-to-work campaign during the
miners’ strike. The MoS said it had wanted to “ram home the dangers of
such an action” after the wife had her house daubed with paint and
besieged by people shouting “scab” and “bitch”. The Press Council
also ruled that the Morning Star had acted irresponsibly.

NUJ raps Reid for using subterfuge

Mail
on Sunday editor, Stewart Steven, was looking at taking legal advice in
the row over Sue Reid and the NUJ. Feature writer Reid was reprimanded
by the NUJ executive for using subterfuge to infiltrate the Barnsley
Women Against Pit Closures Group. Reid was, however, backed by the NUJ
chapel at the MoS which said it fully supported her conduct.

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