Press (TV series)

Set in the offices of two British newspapers, this series follows the personal and professional lives of
rival newspaper editors and reporters as their industry struggles to contend with the explosion of online media and the hacking scandals of the past.

The first episode sets the multi-layered tone for the series in an exploration of how influential the media can be in defining truth, as liberal broadsheet is pitted against populist tabloid, a young journalist finds his personal ethics in conflict with the demands of the real job, and the same story is represented in very different ways.

First episode date: 6 September 2018
Final episode date: 11 October 2018
Networks: Public Broadcasting Service, BBC One
Director: Tom Vaughan
Producer: Paul Gilbert

Below are some questions which this programme raises after watching the first episode.

What do you learn about the financial pressures facing newspapers today and how that might shape decisions about the stories covered?​
For newspapers to stay up and running they need to please the audience and sadly in today’s society that is by any means necessary. The news won’t show what’s most important or most serious but it will show what is the most entertaining, just like ‘The Post’ does. This means the stories covered may be either less important or over-exaggerated to give some excitement to the world.
What do you learn about how the ownership of newspapers can effect the stories covered?​
The owner of 'The Post' makes all the decisions so it clearly has a 'Media Barons' ownership. This means that this newspaper has the views and perspectives of one person so it is very biased. On the other hand, 'The Herald' seems to have a 'Trusts' ownership so a group of people decide what goes in the newspaper, making it less biased and more diverse.
What do you learn about the legal and ethical regulations newspapers follow?​
Newspapers must follow legal and ethical regulations such as being honest and respecting privacy. The show indicates that sometimes these rules are twisted and overlooked without punishment. It makes the audience think about how real life stories are uncovered.
What do you learn about the role the internet plays in the life of the paper?​
In the first episode the internet is mainly featured for one side story where the MP Carla Mason (Lorna Brown) faces a drug outing. She is blackmailed into doing an interview so devastating pictures do not get used in The Post or on it's website. However, in the end they get put onto the website and she is forced to resign. This alerts the audience that the news can easily find career/life threatening photos online and it is now much quicker for them to be shared to the public.
What do you learn about the different news values of the red-top tabloid paper (The Post – similar to the real life Sun or Mirror) and the broadsheet paper (The Herald – similar to the real life Guardian)?
The TV show Press clearly shows the differences between the two newspaper companies. 'The Post' are willing to do anything to get maximum profit as they have little to no moral value. They write exaggerated, entertaining stories and use lots of flashy photos to attract readers instead of actual news. However, 'The Herald' respect legal and ethical regulations to make sure the news they produce is truthful and informing, even though they know they won't get as many sales as 'The Post'.