The front pages
Saturday 12 April, 2014
There's an awful lot of sex, a few drugs and very little rock 'n' roll in a grim set of Saturday papers. There's also a fair bit of death and political gloom. Just to add to the mood, the Times's jolly puff is for a giant First World War poster. That and a "Lib Dems are pointless" splash make a truly winning partnership - winning for the opposition that is. Whatever happened to frothy weekend fare?
Friday 11 April, 2014
The "prosecutors in the dock" headlines are back after the acquittal of Nigel Evans on charges of raping and sexually abusing Tory party workers. Yet at the same time we are treated to sordid tales of drunken MPs harassing young people at Westminster. Where to draw the line between the offensive and the criminal?
A three-year-old blonde girl with a floppy hat has disappears from the room where she was sleeping with her siblings. Would this Australian story have made even a filler without the picture and the opportunity to liken it to that other famous vanishing child? Thankfully Chloe Campbell is home safe. But we should beware of false comparisons. Enough with the Madeleine stories. Enough, too, with Peaches Geldof. Let her rest in peace.
A three-year-old blonde girl with a floppy hat has disappears from the room where she was sleeping with her siblings. Would this Australian story have made even a filler without the picture and the opportunity to liken it to that other famous vanishing child? Thankfully Chloe Campbell is home safe. But we should beware of false comparisons. Enough with the Madeleine stories. Enough, too, with Peaches Geldof. Let her rest in peace.
The commentators...on the Culture SecretariesPhilip Collins (Times) The arts lobby is the only one in the country that demands that the secretary of state feels their pleasure. The Michael Rosen illusion is a misunderstanding of what a culture secretary actually does.
Ian Birrell (Guardian) Apart from an enthusiasm for Star Trek, Sajid Javid is better known for his business brain than any love of arts or sport. So given the reluctance to hand the job to a genuine champion of culture, would it not make more sense to simply abolish the entire department? Fraser Nelson (Telegraph) To understand Javid, it’s crucial to understand how much he believes he owes Britain. He doesn’t need to imagine what his life would have been like had his father not decided to come to Britain – he has cousins in rural Pakistan, living as farmers with none of his opportunities. His loyalty is not just to the country, but to the free enterprise system that allowed him to prosper. Frederick Forsyth (Express) The Government does not seem to realise how much sheer hypocrisy offends the electorate. It is much worse than a genuine mistake. We can forgive that because we all make them. But two entirely different sets of standards – one for the nobs, another for the proles – make us seethe and people who seethe with impotent resentment will get their revenge at the voting booth. |
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Thursday 10 April, 2014
The Maria Miller story is finally on its way out - three splashes and lots of coverage inside - but the redtops aren't letting go of Peaches Geldof. The post-mortem examination failed to establish a cause of death, so there will now be toxicology tests which could take weeks. That leaves the way open for even more speculation. SubScribe doubts that even the most ardent celeb fans will want to read this. There is a natural curiosity when a young woman dies suddenly, but it's a curiosity about facts not fantasy.
It's hard not to smile at the Express, which created a mental image of nasty Eurocrats huddled in a corner saying "what can we do to upset the Brits next?" The story says that personalised number plates could go and that everyone might be required to show the EU flag. In fact, the same story tells us that the only proposal on the table at the moment - to be voted on next week - is to consider introducing a common colour scheme. Or in Express-speak "Britain's traditional system of having a white number plate at the front and a yellow one at the rear could be swept away". Very traditional - it goes back 13 years. As to the numbering convention, the Commission said the proposals "did not any changes on number plate designs", although some had been suggested. And that flag? Not a word from anyone in authority to suggest it has been considered.
The little Prince is crawling all over the papers - even the Guardian went a bit gooey inside. Do we really need this comfort blanket coverage? And as to the Mirror's puff assertion "By George, he looks like his Dad". Er, no. He doesn't specially. Other than that he's a baby and the comparison picture is also of a baby.
It's a pity the Mirror couldn't make up its mind between Mrs Steenkamp and the password panic. The Pistorius trial exclusive was definitely worth the whole page - especially the quote
“I don’t care what happens to Oscar, I don’t even care if he goes free. All I know is that he has to stand up to what he’s done and – if he has to – pay for it. What difference is it going to make to me if he goes to prison for 25 years or is allowed to walk free? I’m not a person who wants to punish him. I want my daughter back, but it’s never going to happen.”
It is an excellent interview by Sharon Feinstein. Thank you for that.
It's hard not to smile at the Express, which created a mental image of nasty Eurocrats huddled in a corner saying "what can we do to upset the Brits next?" The story says that personalised number plates could go and that everyone might be required to show the EU flag. In fact, the same story tells us that the only proposal on the table at the moment - to be voted on next week - is to consider introducing a common colour scheme. Or in Express-speak "Britain's traditional system of having a white number plate at the front and a yellow one at the rear could be swept away". Very traditional - it goes back 13 years. As to the numbering convention, the Commission said the proposals "did not any changes on number plate designs", although some had been suggested. And that flag? Not a word from anyone in authority to suggest it has been considered.
The little Prince is crawling all over the papers - even the Guardian went a bit gooey inside. Do we really need this comfort blanket coverage? And as to the Mirror's puff assertion "By George, he looks like his Dad". Er, no. He doesn't specially. Other than that he's a baby and the comparison picture is also of a baby.
It's a pity the Mirror couldn't make up its mind between Mrs Steenkamp and the password panic. The Pistorius trial exclusive was definitely worth the whole page - especially the quote
“I don’t care what happens to Oscar, I don’t even care if he goes free. All I know is that he has to stand up to what he’s done and – if he has to – pay for it. What difference is it going to make to me if he goes to prison for 25 years or is allowed to walk free? I’m not a person who wants to punish him. I want my daughter back, but it’s never going to happen.”
It is an excellent interview by Sharon Feinstein. Thank you for that.
The commentators...on how Maria Miller has damaged Cameron
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Peter Oborne (Telegraph) The Prime Minister has significant weaknesses. The Maria Miller episode has brought them into the open, exposing structural problems inside No 10 as well as casting a troubling light on Mr Cameron’s personality.
Anthony King (FT) David Cameron’s handling of the Maria Miller expenses affair raises as many questions about the Prime minister as it does about either his erstwhile culture secretary or the policing of parliamentary expenses. The events of recent days are not especially important in themselves but they go to the heart of Mr Cameron’s premiership. How can a man who is supposed to be both an astute politician and a strong prime minister have found himself in such a muddle? Martin Kettle (Guardian) Maria Miller's resignation is a modern parable of political weakness. She was determined to stay as culture secretary. The prime minister was determined to keep her. They both came under attack. David Cameron held the line even more doggedly. Then Miller had to go. Far from looking strong, as he intended, Cameron now looks weak. And there are elections in six weeks. Stephen Pollard (Express) If David Cameron had called Mrs Miller into his study last week, told her that her behaviour had been unacceptable and she could either resign or be sacked, she would by now have slipped back into the well-merited obscurity |
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she had previously enjoyed. Instead of a relentless focus on the good news stories that the Government has to tell, the Prime Minister and the rest of us have been distracted by a bad news story entirely of Mr Cameron’s own making.
Jane Merrick (Independent) After a week of looking weak and indecisive over Maria Miller, David Cameron's decision to replace her with Sajid Javid looks, on the face of it, like a clever move. Of all the possible candidates - including Esther McVey and Nicky Morgan - Javid happens to be the best person for the job. So the Prime Minister is sending a strong message that he has made the appointment on merit, despite the heavy expectation that it should be a woman. Tim Montgomerie (Times) Miller's replacement Javid could make a lasting impression on politics. He is one of the first children of Thatcher to get to the top table in government. His and his party's success depends upon learning from the Iron Lady's weaknesses as well as her strengths. Adrian Chiles (Sun) The truly shocking thing about the Miller expenses scandal was not how much outrage it generated, but how little. The silent majority in the general public, were largely just that - silent. They are past caring. |
Tuesday 9 April, 2014
The commentators...on Martin McGuinness dining with the Queen
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Stephen Glover (Mail) An al-Qaeda terrorist plotting to blow up innocent British civilians, or perhaps a diehard Republican terrorist in Belfast still planting bombs, will look at Martin McGuinness being feted at Windsor Castle and terrorists escaping trial. Such people may justifiably wonder whether, after all the atrocities they have in mind to commit, the British state will one day forgive and forget — and they’ll even end up dining with the Queen. Glad though I am that there is mostly peace in Northern Ireland, I fear it is being bought at a terrible price.
Philip Johnston (Telegraph) To see the former IRA commander in his white tie seated at a table with the Queen is an affront to many victims of the terror group that he led for so long. Yet it is also an extraordinary demonstration of how far armed-force republicans have moved from their absolutist demands for a united Ireland. Anyone suggesting such a prospect just 20 years ago would have been considered certifiably insane. Hamish McRae (Independent) It is a milestone in politics; but it coincides with a milestone in |
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economics. The state visit by Ireland's President Michael Higgins comes at a time when his country’s economy is at last creating jobs in solid numbers, a sign that the recovering world economy is pulling even those countries most savaged by the recession back to growth.
...and on Peaches Geldof Amanda Platell (Mail) The platitudes and vacuities of the Twittersphere are no substitute for true support in life any more than they are in death, as strangers and hangers-on now rush to tweet their personal devastation. How much more meaningful if they’d sent a private letter to her father or husband, rather than a shallow, self-aggrandising tweet, wallowing in the wave of collective hysteria. ...and Peaches Geldof on herself (Times) With a new-found group of mummy mates - all with the exact same issues and struggles, and who don't question if my child flings food at their hair - I'm happier than ever. Right now life is good. And being a mum is the best part of it. |
Tuesday 8 April, 2014
The death of Peaches Geldof was a shock. It was saddening. Was it a tragedy? Not in the classical sense for sure. When it comes to a celebrity death, particularly at such a young age, there's no stopping the tabs. The worst of which was Metro, which makes a guest appearance on the right.
The Sun cleared the front page and overlaid the titlepiece on the black background of the main picture. It's a little fussy with the two smaller pictures - it might have beenbetter to stick with just the one with Paula Yates and to have dumped the text. But all four headlines are straight and tell the reader exactly what they need to know. Anorak, which has done a great shakedown of the coverage here, takes exception to the "No drugs" line at the top - but, be honest, it's everyone's initial thought when someone in showbiz dies young. All the Sun's heads are factual, there is no speculation and no opinion. It's a good job.
The Mirror has a much cleaner front and still finds room for baby George's trip Down Under. The poignancy of that photograph of mother and daughter made the picture editing choice more interesting, but on balance SubScribe prefers the pages with the grown-up Peaches. The portrait chosen by the Times and Guardian is wistful and elegant. It's difficult to see what the Mail's image has going for it. It's unflattering, it isn't recent, it doesn't tell us anything about the woman. The Sun went to town with six inside pages, but most others gave the story a spread. Only the Independent and the FT had no Peaches picture on the front and the Express gave pride of place to the Duchess of Cambridge. The Telegraph was alone in running an obit, which is a shame. The news pages were inevitably preoccupied with the Geldof marriage breakup, the Hutchense suicide and Paula Yates's death; a small serious piece on the heavies' obits pages devoted to Peaches' career would have been appropriate, even with Mickey Rooney to accommodate.
The Sun cleared the front page and overlaid the titlepiece on the black background of the main picture. It's a little fussy with the two smaller pictures - it might have beenbetter to stick with just the one with Paula Yates and to have dumped the text. But all four headlines are straight and tell the reader exactly what they need to know. Anorak, which has done a great shakedown of the coverage here, takes exception to the "No drugs" line at the top - but, be honest, it's everyone's initial thought when someone in showbiz dies young. All the Sun's heads are factual, there is no speculation and no opinion. It's a good job.
The Mirror has a much cleaner front and still finds room for baby George's trip Down Under. The poignancy of that photograph of mother and daughter made the picture editing choice more interesting, but on balance SubScribe prefers the pages with the grown-up Peaches. The portrait chosen by the Times and Guardian is wistful and elegant. It's difficult to see what the Mail's image has going for it. It's unflattering, it isn't recent, it doesn't tell us anything about the woman. The Sun went to town with six inside pages, but most others gave the story a spread. Only the Independent and the FT had no Peaches picture on the front and the Express gave pride of place to the Duchess of Cambridge. The Telegraph was alone in running an obit, which is a shame. The news pages were inevitably preoccupied with the Geldof marriage breakup, the Hutchense suicide and Paula Yates's death; a small serious piece on the heavies' obits pages devoted to Peaches' career would have been appropriate, even with Mickey Rooney to accommodate.
The commentators...on Maria Miller (again)
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Dan Hodges (Telegraph) When the Leveson Report was published, its supporters challenged the Press to point to any legitimate news story that would be threatened by implementation of its recommendations. Maria Miller, unwittingly, has provided the answer.
Steve Richards (Independent) The Maria Miller saga has little to do with Maria Miller. She is a Culture Secretary of limited influence and power. Her precise offence is not clear. Is her curt apology the cause of the anger or is it her expenses claims? Is she being blamed for the fact that MPs to some extent regulate their own affairs, even though this has nothing to do with her? The questions, let alone the answers, are lost in the fog as some editors and former editors |
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flex their muscles over newspaper regulation.
Hugo Rifkind (Times) The expense scandal has displayed a sort of bubble-think from the outset, with politicians assuming that their behaviour must have been reasonable because other politicians didn't say it wasn't. Richard Littlejohn (Mail) The Miller affair is further evidence that our so-called democracy is rotten to the core, a game played by a professional political class which appears to have learned nothing from the expenses scandal. At heart, though, this isn’t about process, precedent or perception. It’s about the money, stupid. Polly Toynbee (Guardian) It's hard to know who is most despised as politicians and the |
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Press vie for bottom place in public trust. But what absurdity, when one newspaper leader after another sanctimoniously thunders against MPs on the Commons standards committee for "marking their own homework". Yet when it comes to the Press, they don't want anyone marking their homework at all.
The Times leader Maria Miller should resign. If she does not appreciate the need, the Prime Minister should make it clear to her. It seems at the moment as if she and those who work in Downing Street are almost the only people in the country who do not recognise that it is time for her to go. In both cases, obstinacy is getting in the way of good judgment. Read more from Editorial Intelligence here |
Monday 7 April, 2014
The commentators...on Maria Miller
Dominic Lawson (Mail) On the most charitable assumptions, these modern non-apology apologies have an element of sincerity. They indicate that the person making them genuinely does not believe he or she has done anything wrong.
Trevor Kavanagh (Sun) David Cameron wants us to see his support for defiant Maria Miller as a leader’s steadfast loyalty to an embattled colleague. In fact, it is a disastrous and perhaps fatal error.
Matthew Norman (Independent) Tory backbencher Therese Coffey has been defending Maria Miller. What comfort for Maria this must be. The last embattled figure to whose defence Therese publicly came was Rebekah Brooks. In 2011 she informed the House that Mrs Brooks was the victim of – go on, have a guess – a “witch-hunt”.
Trevor Kavanagh (Sun) David Cameron wants us to see his support for defiant Maria Miller as a leader’s steadfast loyalty to an embattled colleague. In fact, it is a disastrous and perhaps fatal error.
Matthew Norman (Independent) Tory backbencher Therese Coffey has been defending Maria Miller. What comfort for Maria this must be. The last embattled figure to whose defence Therese publicly came was Rebekah Brooks. In 2011 she informed the House that Mrs Brooks was the victim of – go on, have a guess – a “witch-hunt”.
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Sunday 06 April, 2014
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