The Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a UK based national newspaper published by Telegraph Media Group[1]. The current owners are David Barclay and Frederick Barclay, known collectively as the Barclay Brothers[2]. Until 2004 the paper was owned by Conrad Black and Hollinger International[3] who was jailed for fraud and obstructing justice in 2007[4].
Reliance on PR Material and News Agencies
According to research conducted by Professor Justin Lewis at Cardiff University up to 70% of news stories published by the times are wholly derived from PR activity, News Agencies or replacated from other media sources.
Lewis' research found that that "The Times and the Daily Telegraph appear to replicate a significantly higher percentage of agency/PR material than the Guardian, which, according to these data, is the most independent of the newspapers. While just over half the stories in the Guardian come wholly or mainly from pre-packaged sources, this compares with around two-thirds of the stories on other newspapers. By the same measure, the Guardian is also more likely to use a mix of information or to get information from other sources".
Lewis' study concludes, "What is clear from this study is that the quality and independence of the British news media has been significantly affected by its increasing reliance on public relations and news agency material; and for the worse!" [5].
Controversies
The Telegraph was succesfully sued for defamation by George Galloway in 2004. He was awarded £150,000 in damages after allegations that he was in the pay of Saddam Hussein were ajudged to be "seriously defamatory". The original story was published in April 2003 and alleged that Galloway had secretly received sums in the order of £375,000 a year from Saddam and he had diverted monies from the oil-for-food programme, thus depriving the Iraqi people - whose interests he claimed to represent - of food and medicines. The paper also alleged the MP had used the Mariam Appeal as a front for personal enrichment and what he had done was tantamount to treason[6]
References
- ↑ Telegraph Media Group, Media A-Z, The Guardian, Accessed 09-May-2009
- ↑ BBC News, Barclays triumph in Telegraph bid, 23-June-2004, Accessed 09-May-2009
- ↑ Abigail Rayner, Hollinger International to hit Lord Black with fresh legal claims, The Times, 04-May-2004, Accessed 08-May-2009
- ↑ BBC News, Conrad Black convicted of fraud, 13-July-2007, Accessed 09-May-2009
- ↑ Justin Lewis, A Compromised Fourth Estate? UK news journalism, public relations and news sources, Journalism Studies, Volume 9, Issue 1 February 2008
- ↑ Chris Tryhorn, Galloway wins libel case against Telegraph, The Guardian, 02-December-2004, Accessed 14-May-2004
