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Section Four Index:
The Guardian's grip on the British media

The legend above is how The Wilmslow Express Advertiser and The Knutsford Express Advertiser, both of which are delivered free to homes throughout Tatton, describe their ownership.  There is no indication in either publication that they are owned and controlled by the Left-wing Guardian.

(Other Guardian Group newspapers in the Northwest of England, which do not betray their ownership, almost all of which are delivered free, include: the Manchester Evening News; Manchester Metro News; Stockport Express; Stockport Times East; Stockport Times West; South Manchester Express; Macclesfield Express; Macclesfield Times; Poynton Times; Tameside Advertiser; Glossop Advertiser; Rochdale Observer; Heywood Advertiser; Middleton & North Manchester Guardian; Rossendale Free Press; Accrington Observer; Oldham Advertiser; Rochdale Express; Moston Middleton & Blackley Express; Salford Advertiser; Prestwich Advertiser; Asian News.  The Guardian also owns scores of other local newspapers throughout Britain that do not betray their parentage.)

The Guardian, London.  It is the only newspaper controlled by its own (political) journalists.  It also, uniquely, carries no libel insurance.  It used its subsidiary newspapers in Tatton ruthlessly against the sitting Conservative MP, Neil Hamilton.  It is the newspaper most read by Britain's news journalists

The Offices of the Wilmslow Express & Knutsford Express, Wilmslow.  Like other Guardian-owned local newspapers across Britain, there is nothing to show that it is owned by The Guardian, or that its campaign against Tatton's Conservative MP, Neil Hamilton, was linked in any way to that of its owner.

Wilmslow Express & Knutsford Express, 23 January 1997, publicising the Guardian's book Sleaze, written by David Leigh.  Sleaze's central premise is that the lobbyist Ian Greer paid MPs to table parliamentary questions.  These allegations were later rejected by Sir Gordon Downey's report of 3 July 1997.

Wilmslow Express & Knutsford Express, 30 January 1997.  More extracts from Sleaze. The editor Mike Quilley acknowledges that the Expresses are owned by the Guardian Media Group, but fails to disclose that Hamilton had sued the Guardian for libel.

Wilmslow Express & Knutsford Express, 6 February 1997, focusing on comments in the national press about Neil Hamilton's forlorn defence of their campaign. 
    Both papers report The Guardian's criticism of Hamilton without acknowledging that The Guardian is their owner.

The Wilmslow Express & The Knutsford Express, 20 February 1997.  Both papers report a visit to Tatton by The Guardian's comment editor and Sleaze author, David Leigh, who toured the constituency in a Sleazemobile publicising his book and attacking Neil Hamilton. 
    The usual no mention of the fact that both Expresses are owned by The Guardian.

The Guardian's grip on the Telegraph

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