Front page of the Daily Mirror, using emotive language to describe the German use of Gas, as a weapon.
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Background information
At the outbreak of World War One the government invoked the new Official Secrets Act and Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) to impose press censorship, and sought to ban all war reporting. However, this was not fully imposed. The Army made a serving officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Swinton, its official reporter, known by the name of 'Eye Witness'. Other reporters were allowed to cover the first few months of the war but did not have official support, although in practice senior officers often dealt with the press, and letters or comments from soldiers to newspapers were tolerated. |
The policy of most national newspapers was to support the war effort, but to reserve the right to criticise government policies. There was in 1914 no fully developed British government organisation for propaganda or the manipulation of public opinion. Only as the war continued did the government start to extend its grip on propaganda and public opinion, through greater control of newspapers, amongst other forms. National Newspapers of the ear included: The Times, The Daily Mirror, The Daily Express, The News of the World.
1 Describe key features of Newspapers as evidence.
One key feature of newspapers articles is that they provide insight into the daily and weekly developments of the war, since they are regularly published, such as the outcome of major campaigns, new weapons and tactics, the introduction of new provision within the army, death and injury tolls.
Secondly they provide insight into developments that were of interest to the British public because they are the intended audience.
2a How useful are newspaper articles for an enquiry into illness, injury and treatment on the Western Front?
Newspaper articles provide useful evidence, as they refer to events and developments, as they unfolded on the Western Front, and in Britain in response to these events. Key content includes British gains and losses on the fighting, casualty lists of the dead, wounded and missing, and significant developments in military tactics, weapons and medical provision. As such, most articles contain some valid information. In addition to the actual factual information the contained, Newspapers also provide insight into the interests of the general public, as newspapers sought to reflect their audiences priorities and concerns
However, there are limitations to newspapers for an enquiry into illness, injury and treatment on the Western Front. Within the context of war, newspapers were mostly not under the direct control of the government, but were closely scrutinised by them. They formed a larger body of propaganda, where the selection and presentation of information was used to evoke a patriotic response and continued support for the war effort. They actually tended to reflect what the ruling elite believed that the public should be interested in or told, since the press was owned by wealthy media barons. Also, since they were published as events unfolded, much information was militarily sensitive and could not be shared in case it reached enemy hands. Furthermore, some scientific medical developments were only reported in very simplified terms, so that it was understandable to the lay reader, and lack some of the precise medical detail we might want.