Dumbing down the Daily Telegraph

I happened to see a print edition of the Daily Telegraph the other day. It is many years since I bought a hard copy, ever since their disgraceful treatment of their two countryside writers, Robin Page and Willy Poole, who were excellent. The DT replaced them with Germaine Greer of all people. What does an academic feminist from Van Diemen’s Land know about English country matters? I seem to recall that one of her contributions was to support the expansion of Stansted Airport whilst objecting to the little grass airfield near her home used by the local flying club.

The DT now looks like a broadsheet red-top. It has enormous banner headlines, lashings of trivia about celebs etc, and no fewer than 11 fashion columnists, compared with 10 for serious political comment. It also carries what seems like a daily health warning; this week – overweight causes dementia, bellyfat leads to heart attacks, coffee causes breast cancer,  paracetamol is linked to blood cancer.

It is well padded-out with trivia. Here a three front-page stories on one day:

·        ‘Lady Gaga debuts new ginger beehive’;

·        ‘Beatrice to put hat on e-bay’;                                                        

·        ‘Was Kate’s dress an imitation?’

After its enormous scoop 2 years ago on MPs’ expenses it has been losing circulation again, fast. The previous owner, the late Lord Fartwell, must be spinning in his grave.