View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Comment
November 26, 2008

Ephraim Hardcastle’s soft spot for ‘Jimmy Krankie’ historian Ferguson

The Daily Mail’s Ephraim Hardcastle is puzzled by TV critic AA Gill’s attack on the new Channel 4 series, The Ascent of Money.

Written and presented by Niall Ferguson, it is, says Gill, ‘a GCSE-class project’while ‘wee’Ferguson is ‘academe’s answer to Jimmy Krankie”. 

Why, wonders Hardcastle, is Gill so rude about the ‘brilliant Scots academic and Harvard historian’and his “impressive TV series”?

Axegrinder isn’t surprised that Hardcastle (aka Peter McKay) feels unable to stick the boot into Ferguson.

Some years ago McKay’s son Sinclair, setting out on his journalistic career after leaving university, was given regular shifts on the features desk of the Daily Mail by Sue Douglas.

Douglas – who later went on to edit the Sunday Express – is married to Niall Ferguson.

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 dose 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 Progressive Media Investments 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