The press

The mummy factor

Paul Johnson

Everyone in Fleet Street is delighted that the war between the Tinies at the Observer is over and hopes that the peace

which so abrubtly broke out last weekend will prove lasting. I doubt it, myself, because the constitutional basis on which the paper conducts its affairs, being a grotesque interference by government in the freedom of the press and the operation of market forces, is fundamentally unsound. Certainly the row, which was the direct con- sequence of political intervention by the Monopolies Commission and the Depart- ment of Trade, has not done the paper any good.

When a proprietor accuses his editor of writing fiction, and the editor responds by the suggestion that the proprietor has inter- fered with the freedom to print the truth in order to protect his business interests, the charges may be withdrawn — as they have been — but they cannot be unsaid. Something much more positive must be

done to restore the status quo ante bellum, and in the circumstances the most sensible thing Tiny Rowland can do is to make a major investment in the paper, which faces difficult times ahead.

In general, Fleet Street is doing well at present but this does not apply to all its sec- tors. In the six months October 1983-March 1984, the five popular dailies averaged sales of 12,709,863 against 12,422,796 for the

year before, an increase of nearly half a million. The Star put on nearly 80,000 and the Mirror some 65,000.

The four quality dailies also did well, averaging 2,300,836 against 2,246,213 for the year before, an increase of over 50,000.

The big gainer was the Times, which put on over 54,000 (the Guardian also did well). It is true that the Daily Telegraph continued

its long, slow decline, dropping from 1,280,238 in the second half of 1982-3 to 1,243,362 in the current year. But the

Telegraph has now embarked on an expen- sive fight-back, and even its current figures

are not too discouraging. It sold an average of 1,262,234 copies in March, which is near- ly 20,000 above the six-month figure.

Among the Sundays, the five populars also raised sales, from 14,889,834 to 15,242,916, an increase of over 350,000. Some 330,000 of this was accounted for by the Mail on Sunday, the current Fleet Street success story. But it was a different matter with the Sunday qualities, the only Fleet Street sector to show an aggregate decline in sales, from 2,814,143 to 2,812,909. This was accounted for entirely by the Sunday Telegraph and the Observer, for the Sunday Times actually strengthened its domination of the quality end of the market by raising sales from 1,273,741 to 1,308,973, an in- crease of 35,000. The Observer dropped about 18,000 to 771,672, and the Sunday Telegraph lost circulation by a similar amount to 732,264.

There may be all kinds of reasons for this varying performance. The Murdoch management is gradually strengthening its grip on Times Newspapers and improving efficiency all round. Then too, the Sunday Times has a new, young and vigorous editor, who is slowly getting on top of its hitherto somewhat chaotic editorial set-up. The paper is beginning to acquire an editorial policy, instead of bearing the un- mistakable signs of a journalistic collective. That is all to the good: for readers like a paper to take a definite editorial line, even if they don't always agree with it.

But the biggest single factor may be the quality of the magazine. Journalists who work on the main paper tend to scoff at the effect of colour-mags on sales, but it is un- `All right Smith, now write that out a hun- dred times.' doubtedly important from was the Sunday Times's pioneering in e colour-mag field which helped to give it its position as market leader. At the Popular end, it may be argued that the Sunday ror and the People do not appear, on the latest figures, to have suffered from the fact that they do not have colour-mags where''' the News of the World does. But then they are spending vast sums on advertising an other promotional schemes. Moreover, in the case of the Mail on Sun day, the colour magazine, which is fat, su,e,- culent and even witty, has undoubtea'Y played a significant role in maintaining the momentum of rising sales. In my view it the been the biggest single factor in t„1;e remarkable success of this newspaper. BS comparison, the Telegraph Magazine lookcis anaemic, though its written all:a photographic material is often of hi quality, and the Observer magazine, th°13' plump enough in all conscience, contains rather too many features geared to advertis- ing. The Sunday Times has now reasserted,its faith in colour magazines by a car

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planned and expensive re-launch of its °val. To judge by the first issue, the effort has been well worth while, and it will certalrig be causing concern among the be of its competitors. The ne magazine has a bigger format, which is ""; portant both because it provides greate,, flexibility in handling advertisements an; still more, because it differentiates it frfn the other four mags. It also has all pressively glossy feel and appearalleat stressing the place of the Sunday Times' the top end of the quality market and Oahe aiMmai nognaStusondpahyis' in g a firm distinction between itself and t „ tsicmataigo'nw. ofd, The new magazine's editor was shre for or perhaps just fortunate, in obtaining 1,,., the re-launch the sensational colour PiTy tures of the 15th-century Eskimo fat/it,- a which has also been whose bodies have been preserved for ha"d millennium in the ice. This Was a °fp photo-story in itself, but the curiouslY,7s; pealing mummified baby made the "eai colour-mag cover I can remember — otdidwinner. This story apart, however, Ilaxly think the editorial content Particur to striking and it was sometimes difficult distinguish between editorial and the VII There was too much elaborate art-work._ not enough news photography. To 0.111„/ phrase, you may paint with the brusnov_. Rembrandt, but you cannot beat actiare ophnloytobslaicnkaacnodlowuhri-tmeag — even if theY All the same, the re-launch must be ae anothe counted a success, and the Observer Sunday Telegraph will have to watchcot milted eTde Telegraph r aapreinvestmenth new s pa newspapers la) arealreadyr ai n0 the results of which we shall begin to see ,,ack the next few months. Which brings me " he to Tiny Rowland. If he wants to vyt.

a she

to of Observer journalists he slI7L10 begin to spend some big money — deals with already overpaid print w°1:14....,etrs. but on solid investment in editorial conu"