The Impact of Reporting and Propaganda

The Impact of Reporting and Propaganda

1. The stance of the Newspapers

   • The Daily Chronicle hired a new editor and changed from being anti-war to pro-war
   • Only the Manchester Guardian opposed the war
   • The Daily Mail, established in 1896, was the best selling daily newspaper in the country by 1899
   • The Morning Post and The Times were pro-war but critical of government planning and organisation of the war effort

2. The war correspondents

   • The majority were supportive of the war, however they did report on British defeat, for example at Spion Kop. They also were critical of army leadership following Black Week
   • Sometimes put out false information to support the British- portraying the Boers as cruel and heartless
   • Winston Churchills reporting for the Morning Post increased his fame as he reported upon his exploits in being caputured and escaping from the Boers in December 1899
   • Bennett Burleigh of the Daily Telegraph criticised the army after Black Week.
   • HA Gwynne of Reuters news agency gave supportive accounts of the army's efforts in return for regular information from Kitchener
   • Emily Hobhouse reported on concentration camps in the Manchester Guardian

3. The army and the press

   • The Boer War was the first to have an official British army censor
   • General Buller had a negative view of the press and did not co-operate with war correspondents
   • Field Marshall Roberts recognised the role of the press in maintaining morale. Tried to get press support by supplying war correspondents with information and allowing them to use telephones to relay information to london.
   • Kitchener felt the press needed to be controlled. Introduced greater censorship during the guerilla phase of the war in 1900-1901