The great divide

Abstract

Producing a daily national newspaper live at two centres - the operation conducted between London and Manchester over an 85-year period - assumes a modicum of cooperation, goodwill and mutual understanding. Or so one might have thought, writes author Waterhouse in his new book about national newspaper journalism in the north of England. In reality, the nightly struggle to meet deadlines was exacerbated by distrust, often dislike, permeating whole organisations from editors to messengers, via the composing room and the machine floor. At the heart of the misunderstandings lies a cultural divide. Londoners thought (and think) that Mancunians are thick; Mancunians thought (and think) that Londoners are wide-boys. Londoners assume that nothing outside the capital - and that includes northern editions of the nationals - matters. Mancunians assume that they are in fact superior because Londoners are indolent as well as arrogant. A Mancunian living in London is teased about his accent, which he either loses or hides away among other northern exiles; a Londoner living in Manchester always stands out, although he is usually accepted if he conforms to local rules.