Tuesday, 10 November 2015

Poem ~ News And War - Wednesday 10 November 1915



Source: File: Portrait of Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe.jpeg, [online] Available at: <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Alfred_Harmsworth,_1st_Viscount_Northcliffe.jpg> Accessed: 10 November 2015].

With the 95 club members gathered,
In the Venue of Manchester's reform
Club, they heard censorship opinions
Regarding the Press in wartime.

The President of the National union
Of Journalists, Mr F. Hamer read out
Opinions gathered from various British
Journalist’s - one being Lord Northcliffe.

With the title of 1st Viscount Northcliffe,
Alfred Charles William Harmsworth
Was a newspaper-publishing magnate -
A forerunner of tabloid journalism.

A man who excised public and own
Opinion, Lord Northcliffe's tract told that
He knew no journalist, who did not
See union of wartime politics and press.

That Government and newspapers
Cooperation was vital to operations -
Years before he had urged regulations
Be prepared for wartime situations.

The belief was that in sudden war,
Amateurish muddling occurrences,
Made damages abroad and home -
To consider press as being a monster.

A press to be controlled by lawyers -
They ignored alliances of Irish, Scottish
Provincial and metropolitan papers -
In confusion, bureau passed all stories.

Stories that would be of use to enemy,
Were stopped by the papers themselves -
Northcliffe stated how the Government
Of Britain, had no concept of publicity.

Whereas the American political system,
Had appearance of interviews wisdom
To carry weekly talks with President and
Congress representatives in Washington.

Alluding to a prosecution over one
Item, that already appeared in Europe,
Northcliffe held sympathies to reporters,
Subjected to Defence of Realm Act.

Editor of the Westminster Gazette,
Mr Spender, was quoted on opinions
That they should directly address
Those regulators of Censor depts.

Further to add that the lack of front
Correspondents should be addressed
While govt. criticism should not be
Suppressed, harm comes of false facts.

In misrepresentations of the British
Sent to allied and neutral countries -
Need of a system to halt libel exports -
Another thought came from Mr Phillips;

Chairman of Newspaper society
And editor of the Yorkshire Post had
No grounds for criticising censors -
In war authority made all decisions

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1915. Press In War-Time. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 10 November. P.3. Col.2. Available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11975589/Daily-Telegraph-November-10-1915.html [Accessed: 10 November 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 10 November 2015). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11975589/Daily-Telegraph-November-10-1915.html


#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Manchester

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