Ousting Daily Mail ‘s Editor: What Is the Tabloid’s New Approach?

The Daily Mail’s management reshuffle could be a relief for Boris Johnson’s government. The tabloid accused the Conservative government of sleazes in some cases over the recent years. Johnson’s government could be hopeful for other media support to win the public’s votes in the next election. 

Management Change at the Largest UK Tabloid 

After three years, Geordie Greig is out as Daily Mail editor, one of the most influential media in the UK. Under Greig’s leadership, the tabloid has very well kept millions of readers informed about events. Daily Mail is the UK’s biggest-selling newspaper and has considerable political influence. 

Geordie Greig is an aristocrat who studied at Eton, Oxford and joined the Daily Mail in 1983 as a reporter. He is a friend of David Hockney and late Lucian Freud, the most exhibited artist in London this millennium. Greig wrote a book about the two contemporary British artists titled “Breakfast with Lucian: A Portrait of the Artist”. He changed the tone and culture of the Daily Mail once Paul Dacre, after 26 years, stepped down in 2018. 

Daily Mail Ran Popular Campaigns 

Geordie Greig joined Daily Mail in 2018, and he softened the tabloid’s pro-Brexit stance. A source had told the Guardian the appointment of the editor of Mail on Sunday as part of a process of detoxifying the Daily Mail. During his editorship, the paper was a voice for prevalent causes, ran several campaigns, raised money for children in need. Sacking Greig can change the tabloid’s approach towards Downing Street, and there will be minor criticism against the UK government. 

Daily Mail attacked Boris Johnson during Greig’s editorship and criticized Westminster over incompetence. In recent weeks, the newspaper was criticizing Boris Johnson’s government for corruption linked to the Owen Paterson affair. Daily Mail under Greig’s leadership also exposed a second job of the former attorney-general Geoffrey Cox in the Caribbean. The paper pressed Johnson to apologize for the poor handling of the Paterson case.

Daily Mail Editorial Condemned Journalism Exclusion 

In the course of Greig’s leadership, Daily Mail bluntly criticized the UK government for excluding some journalists from a Brexit briefing. A reporter from Daily Mail, along with some other news reporters, boycotted the news briefing, protesting NO 10 movements. In February 2020, No ten attempted to prevent several news organizations from a press conference over Brexit. 

Daily Mail, in an editorial, wrote it could not be an uncritical friend, although it supported the government’s attempts. The editorial added that Johnson’s government makes fun of its own openness claims by freezing out journalists. The Mail Online also criticized NO 10 and wrote excluding some journalists from the briefing was disgraceful censorship, and Johnson should be ashamed of it. Mail Online added that this movement was a reminder of Donald Trump’s control of news agendas. 

Digital, Print Operations May Merge 

The paper was acting separated from Mail Online, but the new editor could change the policy. The recent leadership change will most probably lead to more integration between the Daily and Sunday Mail, also the printed paper and online operation. The Mail Online website lacks the political influence that the printed newspaper has. 

Jonathan Harmsworth Rothermere, the owner of the Daily Mail, perhaps decided for a digital management reshuffle and replaced Greig. While during his editorship, the paper was named National Newspaper of the Year, he will be replaced by Ted Verity. Verity is the editor of the Mail on Sunday whose appointment boosts Martin Clarke’s status, head of the Mail Online. Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) revealed two-thirds of its advertising revenue comes from Mail Online digital advertising. 

Former Editor Back in Power

Lord Rothermere has appointed Paul Dacre as the editor in chief of Daily Mail Group Media. Dacre recently withdrew from the race to become chairman of Ofcom, the UK media watchdog. He has been editor of The Mail on Sunday for the past three years while Greig was the editor of the Daily Mail. His coming back shows Dacre will have an enduring impact on the paper, which also has a close relationship with Clarke. Verity, the new editor of Daily Mail, is also close to Dacre, who have had significant power at Daily Mail. Greig constrained Dacre’s ability and adopted a less harsh tone at the paper. Dacre once said Greig was economical with the truth because he had told advertisers welcomed the softer style and approach. Interestingly, Dacre was Boris Johnson’s favourite candidate for the Ofcom position.

Daily Mail Can Change Public Votes

Daily Mail is a right-wing, very populist and middlebrow paper that usually publishes gossiping subjects. Although it has decisively supported the Conservative Party, it revealed scandals linked to its members during Greig’s editorship. This paper plays a central role in British politics and society, having a broad section of middle-class British readers. Daily Mail has criticized Johnson’s government in recent years, but a new management replacement could save readers’ votes for him. Even though Westminster did not remove Greig, it welcomes the replacement of a less critical editor. This leadership shift is helpful in the coming weeks when Johnson decides to alter trade arrangements for Northern Ireland. The paper was pro-Brexit during the 2016 referendum campaign, and this editorial comeback will be in favour of anti-Brussel movements. 

Daily Mail Shift of Power

The Rothermere family has recently made a deal to end its 90-year run as a public company. The family founded the Daily Mail in 1896, and Harold Sidney Harmsworth, the first Viscount Rothermere, found DMGT in 1922. Daily Mail’s circulation has dropped in recent years and is down from a daily average of 2m, ten years ago. Title revenues decreased by 2 per cent at the Daily Mail because of a decline in circulation. The cost of newsprint is at its highest level in 25 years now, and recently DMGT was considering job cuts in response to inflation pressures. Nevertheless, Greig’s abrupt replacement was not merely economic consideration, and it was an internal fight for a power grab. Now, Dacre type editors are in charge of both online and print, right-leaning operations. 

Conclusion

In an unexpected movement, Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) replaced the newspaper’s editor, Geordie Greig. He had joined the operation for softening the content but was recently replaced by Ted Vanity, the editor of the Mail, on Sunday. Vanity is close to the editor of Mail Online, Martine Clarke, close to Paul Dacre, former and long-standing editor of the right-leaning tabloid.

Daily Mail under Greig’s leadership shifted away from the pro-Brexit approach, accused the Conservative government, and made Johnson’s government apologize for the poor handling of sleaze cases. Daily Mail is the most critical selling paper in the UK and has many political impacts on British society. The corporation’s recent management shift towards its old editorship can keep the public votes in favour of the current Conservative government.