The "Hard Trade" of Journalism Will Miss Peter Preston's Astute Plea



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Peter Preston, the former editor of Guardian died in January, was a big advocate of what he called "zing" in journalism, arguing that "serious n & rsquo; "Need not be boring". During his memorial service at St Bride Church on Fleet Street on Thursday, the choice of the editor of Daily Mail Paul Dacre, was to give an address.

Dacre, who will retire in November, is the number one journalistic hate figure for many pro-European readers and writers of Guardian . The campaigns of his newspaper against pro-European judges and MPs, denouncing them as traitors and "enemies of the people", could not be further from the liberal and decent internationalism that has illuminated Preston's journalism [19659003]. they were soul mates in their obsession with journalism and crafts surrounding printed newspapers. Neither of them heard much gossip and both avoided celebrating the parties and the power society.

"I see a somewhat lonely character – who was too aware that a publisher, who works without fear or favor, can not really have friends," said Dacre of Preston. "And again , good publishers must be foreigners because, let's be honest, most people are content to be friends with reporters to put something in a newspaper or – more pertinently – to keep it. "

Preston was, said Dacre, "journalist and editor-in-chief of the editors," loving "that magical symbiosis of newsprint, images, titles, fonts, and fine words," printed newspapers.

Serious Purpose

Preston liked the as a journalist, but he was more committed to his seriousness, which led to the final project of his life, the creation of the European Press Prize.The prize, funded by a number of newspaper holders, including the Irish Times Trust, hono journalists from the 47 countries of the Council of Europe.

Harry Evans, 90, the greatest English editor, praised Preston. the stewardship of the award in a message read to the memorial service by Maggie O. Kane

Journalism seeks to tell the truth as it sees it, and to defend the right of others to explore or challenge such truth

Speaking of the award a few years ago, Preston described the purpose of quality journalism. "It aims to inform and sometimes educate the reader.It defends the freedom of the press because this freedom underlies democracy.It believes in the full and diligent search, because the stories that it develops must be rooted in fact, "he writes.

"He addresses complex topics and helps to make them simpler.He is never afraid to adopt a contrary view, because democracy depends on reasoned alternatives." the product of free spirits, not formulas.It believes that this can foster a dynamic in the public debate, provide a new perception of the possible and new understanding of the human condition.This may be the voice of a man or from a woman, working alone – or from a powerful publishing empire.He seeks to tell the truth as he sees it, and to defend the right of others to explore or challenge such truth. "

Difficult and dangerous

Many nominations for the European Press Award come from journalists and often dangerous circumstances, working with tiny budgets as they discover corruption in Russia, Europe central and eastern or in the Balka ns. In recent years, more and more European states are ruled by politicians who demonize journalists, describe their work as "false news" and preside over the closing of major news agencies or their takeover by political friends . Observer written a few days before his death, Preston tackled the challenge to journalism and the free press by Donald Trump and his European imitators

"There is a compelling challenge for journalists and their Rough trade in 2018, it is a question of restoring a modest degree of public respectability: in short, a measure of confidence, because without a hat-trick like a big news, there is only one thing. a shrug of the shoulders – which really means nothing at all, he writes

"We remember the Watergate, the Pentagon Papers and other triumphs, they make our things shine, but they are not , by no means the whole of the company: a business that means treating readers in a jam like humans, identifying distress, becoming a functional part of society rather than commentators at its edges In short, seek to be trustworthy in the e hole where admiration should be. "

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