Britain: An official handbook > 1956

THE PRESS
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Of considerable influence, although their circulations are only in the tens of
thousands, are the weeklies dealing with political, social and economic affairs:
The Economist, which covers topics of the day from a far wider angle than its title
would indicate and is politically independent; The New Statesman and Nation,
a review of politics, literature and the arts with an independent socialist political
tendency; The Spectator, which covers much the same subjects and is non-party;
Time and Tide, which has a right-wing tendency; Tribune, with a left-wing but
strongly anti-communist bias; and Truth, which is extreme right wing in its political
outlook. Other papers whose circulations are in the tens of thousands are the
illustrated weeklies such as The Illustrated London News, The Sphere, The Field,
and Country Life, while Punch is the leading humour periodical. The readership of
all these weeklies is greater than is apparent from their circulation figures, since
they are widely read in libraries, clubs and other institutions.
Monthly and quarterly journals, generally speaking, appeal to the more serious
type of reader, particularly the literary and political journals and those specializing
in international and Commonwealth affairs.
Four monthly illustrated periodicals are published in Scotland: The Scottish
Field Scotland's Magazine, The Scots Magazine (founded 1779) and Scotland-, and
two weeklies devoted to farming interests, The Farming News and The Scottish
Farmer. Among literary journals, probably the most famous are Chambers s and
Blackwood's, both published in Edinburgh.
Popular magazines are numerous: the Thomson-Leng group of Dundee alone
distribute about 10 million copies of weeklies in the British Isles and abroad.
In Northern Ireland, weekly, monthly and quarterly publications cover farming,
the linen industry, building, motoring and politics.
News Agencies
There are three principal British news agencies:
Reuters Ltd., a world agency with offices in many countries, which distributes
foreign and Commonwealth news to British newspapers and foreign and British
news to over 3,000 papers outside Britain. It is owned by the British Press and
three Commonwealth news agencies. All profits are used to develop the service.
Press Association Ltd., which distributes home news. It is owned by British
provincial newspapers. All profits are used to develop the service.
Exchange Telegraph Company Ltd., a public company which distributes home
and foreign news, mainly to British papers.
Two other agencies supply a general service of oversea news.
Associated Press, which is a branch of the Associated Press of America.
British United Press, which is a Canadian subsidiary of the United Press of
America.
There are besides some 60 United Kingdom, Commonwealth and foreign
agencies and news services with offices in London, specializing in some aspects of
newspaper and periodical requirements.
Training for Journalism
Until recently, and this therefore applies to most newspapermen working today,
journalists were, broadly, of two classes: those who entered newspaper offices on
leaving school and worked their way up, learning by experience; and umversi y
graduates who held some of the specialized posts, such as correspondents abroad
or on special subjects, leader-writers and editorial office staff. The second class has