Newspapers remain a political campaigning tool: question everything you read

Newspapers are about as useful as campaign leaflets as a form of electoral scrutiny.

"It's The Sun Wot Won It" appeared on the front page of The Sun on 11 April 1992.

The Sun was relentless in its support of Prime Minister John Major and the Conservative Party during the 1992 election campaign. It sought to undermine The Labour Party and its leader Neil Kinnock.

The Conservative Party won the election with a 21-seat majority. Polling had predicted a hung Parliament.

The reach of the print media is much diminished since the 1990s. The Sun’s readership has declined from more than 3.5 million in 1992 to 1.3 million today. Yet many news brands have held their position online as part of a new digital media ecosystem.

"It's The Sun Wot Won It" has become shorthand for the influence of the media on the election process yet the fragmentation of media means that no newspaper has the influence to swing an election if indeed it ever did. The partisan nature of the news media means we should question everything that we read.

Media oligarchy

The right-wing newspapers in the UK are controlled by a small number of people. It’s as close as we have to an oligarchy in the UK.

Rupert Murdoch’s News International owns The Times, Sunday Times and The Sun. Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay own the Daily Telegraph. DMG owns the Daily Mail chaired by Lord Rothermere.

The all-digital Independent, The Metro, The Guardian and The Mirror, provide a left leaning counterpoint.

Media constraints

There’s a second issue at play that means readers should apply an extra level of vigilance.

Newsprint media is not only less influential but it's also a lot leaner than it was 30 years ago. It has suffered as a result in the shift in attention and advertising to Google, Facebook and other digital platforms.

Resource and time constrained journalists have become a conduit for political campaigners and candidates. Instead they should be scrutinising and fact checking stories.

Question everything that you read.