View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
November 7, 2002updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

Mirror royal scoop down to reporter’s loyalty to Burrell

By Press Gazette

Steve Dennis: "loyalty rewarded with stunning coup", said Piers Morgan

The surprise triumph for the Daily Mirror in securing the royal butler’s story is down to one man, according to editor Piers Morgan.

The Mirror’s Manchester reporter, Steve Dennis, has built such close contact over the years with Paul Burrell — "he is almost like a third brother", said Morgan – that it paid off handsomely when the paper was able to secure the buy-up for £300,000, a third of the reported £1m offered by News International and half that tendered by Associated Newspapers. There was also believed to have a been a late bid by the News of the World, going it alone, for £2m.

"I was quietly confident because our Steve Dennis has cultivated a very special relationship with Paul Burrell and his family," said Morgan.

Even the fact that the son of Richard Kay, the Daily Mail’s royal reporter, is Burrell’s godson did not shake Morgan’s belief that Dennis would come through with the deal.

"Everyone would assume that the Mail would hoover this up with its usual vast chequebook but Paul Burrell realised it may have allegiances to other camps, whereas Steve Dennis has always been completely loyal to Paul Burrell," Morgan explained.

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

"I think he had his loyalty rewarded and I congratulate Steve on a stunning coup. All I did was agree the money."

Dennis had told Morgan he always felt the Mirror would get the story for less than others were offering because Burrell had an affinity for what the paper stands for and felt its readers loved Diana more than most newspapers’ readers.

"And he trusted Steve implicitly," said Morgan. "It’s a great lesson in what I have always said about contacts. Steve could have run countless front-page exposŽs at any stage in the past five years. But he has lived and breathed the Burrell family and when the big one came, Dennis landed the biggest fish of all. I take my hat off to him for brilliant, brilliant journalism."

In his introductory piece about Burrell for the Mirror on Tuesday, Dennis said he had "shared his ordeal, seen him cry and heard him believe he was losing his mind".

Each day of the Old Bailey trial, Burrell had telephoned him "morning, noon and night".

By Jean Morgan

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