Daily Mirror Under Pressure Over Anti-War Stance
A new poll from ICM and The Guardian could place further pressure on the Daily Mirror’s anti-war stance, as it reveals that 49% of its readership approves of the military attack on Iraq.
The news comes as the price of the paper returns to 32p in the lucrative Carlton/London region and there is heightened speculation as to the effect the editorial policy is having on circulation.
According to the poll, 38% of Daily Mirror readers disapprove of the war, while 13% have no opinion. By contrast, readers of The Sun appear in tune with the paper’s gung-ho editorial stance, with 68% approving of the conflict.
The Daily Mirror has taken a strong anti-war line, and had a heavy presence at recent demonstrations, distributing branded placards across the capital. The ICM/Guardian poll was undertaken after the war began and it is widely accepted that support for the conflict increased as soon as British troops were deployed.
The suggestion by commentators that readers are deserting the Mirror over its standpoint have not been backed up and ignores the fact that opinions on the conflict are divided across all titles. According to the poll, 34% of Daily Telegraph readers disapprove of the fighting. It is also notable that similar pronouncements have not been made about papers with a strong pro-war stance.
The appointment of Sly Bailey as chief executive of Trinity Mirror (see Bailey Leaves IPC To Replace Graf At Trinity Mirror) has also raised speculation over the paper’s future. Bailey quickly moved to end the costly price cuts at the paper, which had led to renewed competition with The Sun (see Daily Mirror Cuts Cover Price).
Earlier this month, it was reported that venture capitalist group, Candover Partners, which held takeover talks with Trinity Mirror last year, is considering making a fresh bid for the newspaper group (see Venture Capitalist Group Mulls Fresh Trinity Mirror Bid).
ABC figures for February 2003 show that the Daily Mirror’s circulation dropped 4.5% year on year from 2,138,920 to 2,042,092. Analysis of the paper’s circulation over the past year reveal a fairly turbulent time for the title, which experienced a sizeable decline in sales between November and December 2002.
Trinity Mirror: 020 7293 3000 www.trinitymirrorplc.uk
Recent Related Stories from NewsLine Daily Telegraph To Dominate Bank Station In Ad Push War Coverage Dominates Online Usage ITV Drops Ads From Special News Bulletins
Subscribers can access ten years of NewsLine articles by clicking the Search button to the left