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
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
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