By Euro Weekly News Media • Published: 22 Jun 2016 • 17:31
Paul Dacre.
A PETITION calling for the editor of the Daily Mail to be fired has accrued more than 40,000 signatures in a direct address to the tabloid paper’s owner Lord Rothermere.
The campaign, started by civic organisation Avaaz, describes Paul Dacre as the “Nigel Farage of newspapers” and accuses the Mail of “adding to a climate where rage and xenophobia flourish” under his leadership.
Central to the complaint is the paper’s obsessive coverage of, and mistruths about, immigration, particularly in the run-up to the EU referendum.
Last week the paper was forced to issue a correction on its front page story due to its reliance on inaccurate copy and the false impression that illegal immigrants found in a van came from Europe.
“The Daily Mail has spread lies and hate and a steady diet of Leave messaging for the duration of this referendum campaign, while offering virtually no space for the Remain perspective,” said Avaaz campaign director Iain Keith.
“Paul Dacre claims to be a champion for press freedom, but this betrays the principles of journalism to an ugly political agenda. Paul Dacre is the Nigel Farage of newspapers and it’s time Lord Rothermere either reins him in or cuts him loose.”
That the petition has accumulated 40,000 signatures in just one day may turn heads but is highly unlikely to trouble Dacre who has been at the helm of the Mail as editor since 1992, and is widely regarded as one of the most successful newspapermen of his generation.
Under his leadership the paper has seen daily circulation hit a steady average of roughly two million and been awarded Newspaper of the Year six times.
Dacre has his finger on the pulse of middle England unlike any of his contemporaries and is a staunch defender of his strategy of placing sensationalism, fear and anger above facts, railing against the biases he perceives in the ‘objective’ journalism of the BBC and its ilk.
After years of stoking fear and loathing over the EU, the paper finally came out with an official endorsement of Brexit on June 21, conveniently neglecting to mention that Dacre himself has pocketed to the tune of £460,000 in EU subsidies over five years to bolster his luxurious Highlands estate.
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Surely you mean that Dacre has his finger on the pulse of middle England’s BIGOTS. One word makes all the difference.
I’d like to sign the petition if anyone knows the web address.
With his similar blind orientation to outgoing Cameron & Osborne, maybe Dacre could get some job where these other two can possibly find work! LOL !!
The Mail must be the UK’s most bigoted news Rag. Trouble is lot of Costa folk believe what they print is largely true. Maybe the EWN could take it over and make it more honest.
Is there a petition along the same lines for the Daily Express, too? I think they’re actually even worse…
The Newspapers in the UK are owned by rich plutocrats who either live off-shore or have all their wealth there, who use their power as a propaganda machine to brainwash the UK public. Most of us are gullible enough to believe it is true balanced news.
Oh right, but is’s OK for the government, BBC and Sky âÂÂadding to a climate where rage and xenophobia flourishâ by their statements and reporting! If it works one way it needs to work the other also!
Look at the xenophobia created by the remainers, the tabloids stirring up the result and even some MP’s for crying out loud, at least they should have more sense! Is that not something that people should be worried if not ashamed of? It ok to complain but not when its a case of: The pot calling the kettle black!
Ho-ho, ho-ho, ho! I thought I had inout a comment critical of ALL editors. Seems to have gone astray somewhere, not to have been liked at all! That is so very sad.
I would largely lump the TV companies in with the Newspapers as the same kind of propaganda machine. They are all used to keep the top 1% and the establishment secure and the general public misinformed. It is no good Mike trying to contrast Sky News with the newspapers for it is owned by Rupert, the owner of the Sun. It will therefore have the same agenda – misinformation.
I don’t disagree with you!
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