Ian Sinclair







'An establishment newspaper': The politics of the Eastern Daily Press

This paper analyses the political stance of the Norwich-based Eastern Daily Press. It uses Nick Davies's notion of 'churnalism' and Herman and Chomsky's Propaganda Model to explain, in particular, its editorial positions on the monarchy and British foreign policy. Moreover, the evidence presented suggests that the EDP's ownership and, to a lesser extent, its reliance on advertising are key reasons for its political stances. Interviews with journalists, politicians and a prominent academic support the overall argument. The paper concludes: 'Archant's monopoly in the region has a worrying influence on dissent.'

Keywords: Eastern Daily Press, churnalism, Propaganda Model, monarchy, British foreign policy


References

  1. Ahmed, K., Beaumont, P., & Paton Walsh, N. (2002) No war without UN, warns poll, The Observer, 29 September. Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2002/sep/29/iraq.foreignpolicy, accessed on 14 April 2014
  2. Archant (2012a) About us: Who we are. Available online at http://www.archant.co.uk/articles/about-us-who-we-are, accessed on 11 April 2014
  3. Archant (2012b) Annual report. Available online at: http://static.archant.s3.amazonaws.com/media/pdfs/ARA12%20Final.pdf, accessed on 11 April 2014
  4. Archant (2014) Archant sees profits up despite challenging economy, 7 March. Available online at http://www.archant.co.uk/news/archant-sees-profits-up-despite-challenging-econom/, accessed on 11 April 2014
  5. BBC News (2003) Poll gloom for Blair on Iraq, 12 February. Available online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2751471.stm, accessed on 14 April 2014
  6. Bingham, J. (2008) Two thirds want British troops out of Afghanistan: poll, Daily Telegraph, 13 November. Available online at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/3450783/Two-thirds-want-British-troops-out-of-Afghanistan-poll.html, accessed on 14 April 2014
  7. Bloomberg Businessweek (2014) Executive profile: Richard Wilson Jewson MA. Available online at http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=671565&privcapId=131602&previousCapId=8815762&previousTitle=Leaders%20Quest, accessed on 11 April 2014
  8. Channel 4 News (2009) Britons believe 'Afghan war is failing', 24 October. Available online at http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/uk/britons+believe+aposafghan+war+is+failingapos/3397902, accessed on 14 April 2014
  9. Clarke, T. (2000) Pilgrims of the press: A history of Eastern Counties Newspapers Group 1850-2000, Norwich, Eastern Counties Newspaper Group Ltd.
  10. Davies, N. (2008) Flat earth news: An award-winning reporter exposes falsehood, distortion and propaganda in the global media, London, Chatto & Windus
  11. Dickson, A. (2013) Archant chief executive appears before Lords select committee, Eastern Daily Press, 30 October. Available online at http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/archant_chief_executive_appears_before_lords_select_committee_1_2941608, accessed on 11 April 2014
  12. East Anglian Daily Times (2003) Editorial: Troops need support from whole nation, 20 March p. 16
  13. Eastern Daily Press (1956) Editorial: Ultimatum, 31 October p. 4
  14. Eastern Daily Press (1982) Editorial: Victory, 15 June p. 6
  15. Eastern Daily Press (1991) Editorial: The cause is just, 17 January p. 10
  16. Eastern Daily Press (1999) Editorial: No alternative to airstrikes, 24 March p. 20
  17. Eastern Daily Press (2001) Editorial: Terror network must be finished, 8 October p. 16
  18. Eastern Daily Press (2003a) Editorial: Let the war be over quickly, 20 March p. 28
  19. Eastern Daily Press (2003b) Editorial: Stopping the war by winning it, 22 March p. 26
  20. Eastern Daily Press (2004) Editorial: Air deal paying off, 1 December, p. 22.
  21. Eastern Daily Press (2005) Editorial: Harbouring hopes of great things. 29 January, p. 28.
  22. Eastern Daily Press (2011a) Editorial: It is much nobler to stop Gaddafi. 19 March, p. 22.
  23. Eastern Daily Press (2011b) Editorial: It's thuggery, and there's no excuse. 9 August p. 16
  24. Eastern Daily Press (2011c) Editorial: Top priority is to regain the streets, 10 August p. 18
  25. Eastern Daily Press (2011d) Editorial: On the road. 15 December p. 24
  26. Eastern Daily Press (2012) Editorial: Debate over nuclear deterrent too important for party squabbling, 30 October
  27. Evening News (2003) Editorial: Time runs out for dictator, 20 March p. 8
  28. Evening Star (2003a) Editorial: A nasty bloody business that affects us all, 24 March p. 2
  29. Evening Star (2003b) Straw's praise for regional press. 2 April. Available online at http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/straw_s_praise_for_regional_press_1_133240, accessed on 11 April 2014
  30. Fisher, C. (2010) A11 dualling set to be given go-ahead, Eastern Daily Press, 20 October
  31. Franklin, B. (2004) Packaging politics: Political communications in Britain's media democracy, Oxford, Oxford University Press
  32. Herman, E. and Chomsky, N. (1994) Manufacturing consent: The political economy of the mass media, London, Vintage
  33. Ipsos MORI (2003) Iraq, The last pre-war polls, 21 March 2003. Available online at http://www.ipsos-mori.com/newsevents/ca/287/Iraq-The-Last-PreWar-Polls.aspx, accessed on 14 April 2014
  34. Jewson, R. (2012) Celebrating the Nation and the Local, ResPublica. Available online at http://www.respublica.org.uk/item/Celebrating-the-Nation-and-the-Local, accessed at 11 April 2014
  35. Linford, P. (2013) ABC figures: How the regional dailies performed, Hold The Front Page, 28 August. Available online at http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2013/news/abc-figures-how-the-regional-dailies-performed-6/, accessed on 14 April 2014
  36. McChesney, R. (1997) Corporate media and the threat to democracy, New York, Seven Stories Press
  37. Media Lens (2004) Rapid response update: Self-deceits held in common, 23 January. Available online at http://medialens.org/index.php/alerts/alert-archive/2004/316-rapid-response-update-self-deceits-held-in-common.html, accessed: on 11 April 2014
  38. Media Lens (2008) Flat earth news: The inside view: Parts 1 and 2. 5 March. Available online at http://www.medialens.org/index.php/alerts/alert-archive/2008/535-flat-earth-news-the-inside-view-part-1.html, accessed on 11 April 2014
  39. Media Lens (2009) A comparative review of Flat earth news and Newspeak, 20 November. Available online at http://www.medialens.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=584:a-comparative-review-of-flat-earth-news-and-newspeak&catid=23:alerts-2009&Itemid=65, accessed on 11 April 2014
  40. Monbiot, G. (2009) I, too, mourn good local newspapers. But this lot just aren't worth saving. Guardian, 9 November. Available online at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/nov/09/local-newspapers-democracy, accessed on 11 April 2014
  41. National Assembly of Wales (2009) Broadcasting sub-committee, 5 March. Available online at http://www.assemblywales.org/bsc_3_-03-09_-_papur_2_-_prof_bob_franklin_-_cardiff_university_pdf, accessed on 11 April 2014
  42. New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (2014) The team. Available online at http://www.newanglia.co.uk/About-Us/The-Team, accessed on 11 April 2014
  43. Newspaper Society (2012a) Readership and coverage. Available online at http://www.newspapersoc.org.uk/readership-and-coverage, accessed: on 11 April 2014
  44. Newspaper Society (2012b) Annual review 2011/12 and statement of accounts 2011. Available online at http://www.newspapersoc.org.uk, accessed on 11 April 2014
  45. Norfolk County Council (2014) Lieutenancy. Available online at http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/Council_and_democracy/Council_Business/Civic_dignitaries/Lieutenancy/index.htm, accessed on 11 April 2014
  46. Norfolk County Council (2001) Shaping the future strategy: The economic development strategy for Norfolk 2001-10, Norwich, NCC
  47. One World (nd). About the column. Available online at http://oneworldcolumn.blogspot.co.uk/, accessed on 11 April 2014
  48. Orwell, G. (1944) As I please, Tribune, 7 July. Available online at http://www.telelib.com/authors/O/OrwellGeorge/essay/tribune/AsIPlease19440707.html, accessed on 11 April 2014
  49. Pickover, N. (2012) Nigel Pickover: Testimony to Leveson Inquiry. Available online at http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Witness-Statement-of-Nigel-Pickover.pdf, accessed on 11 April 2014
  50. Pickover, N. (2014) Yes we Cam! Eastern Daily Press, 10 January p. 1
  51. Pilger, J. (2009) Read between the lines, New Statesman, 6 August. Available online at http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2009/08/extraordinary-times-pilger, accessed on 11 April 2014
  52. Ponsford, D. (2011) New research says local press is most trusted media, Press Gazette, 16 June. Available online at http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/node/47304, accessed on 11 April 2014
  53. Timms, D. (2006) Archant 'gagging' journalists, says NUJ, Guardian, 6 February. Available online at http://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/feb/08/nationalunionofjournalists.mediaunions, accessed on 11 April 2014
  54. Vergano, D. (2013) Half-million Iraqis died in the war, new study says, National Geographic, 15 October. Available online at http://news.nationalgeographic.co.uk/news/2013/10/131015-iraq-war-deaths-survey-2013/, accessed on 11 April 2014
  55. Yelland, D. (2013) Leveson: Britain's press needs to learn humility - I should know, Guardian, 29 November. Available online at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/29/leveson-humility-former-sun-editor-i-know, accessed on 11 April 2014
  56. Yorkshire Times (2013) Local newspaper week, 14 May. Available online at http://www.yorkshiretimes.co.uk/article/Local-Newspaper-Week, accessed on 11 April 2014

Note on the contributor

Ian Sinclair is a freelance writer based in London and the author of The March That Shook Blair: An Oral History of 15 February 2003, published by Peace News