Another way to think about the Daily Mail

Posted by Prof. Richard Sambrook

Following the events outlined in my colleague John Jewell’s post below, the Daily Mail’s attack on Ralph Miliband rather blew up in their faces with strong reaction to their values and tactics – particularly after sister paper The Mail on Sunday tried to conduct “doorstep” interviews at a Miliband family memorial service.  Many in public life and on social media have cried “foul” – a sentiment I personally agree with.

However, because we are a Journalism and Media School, and therefore like to consider many sides of the argument, I thought I would cross-post a different view. Former Mail journalist James Clark offers this take on events – that the Mail’s investment in journalists, whatever we think of them, has an important and wider benefit for the industry.  Or as he puts it, “You may not know it, but Paul Dacre is doing you a favour”.

And, just as Voltaire once said “I may disapprove of what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it”, so Alex Massie reminds us in The Spectator blog that support for a free press includes those with whom we disagree.