The Off Topic Topic

[Sheilbh]

Exactly - add into the material challenges of transmitting news, especially in wartime with restrictions of various censorship regimes. And as you say to HVC's point it's not necessarily speed over accuracy but there's a far harder deadline for print. Admittedly the Times gets it better than the tabloids (and both get it better than the Daily Worker) but that's hardly a surprise Also related to that is that there were evening editions instead of just refreshing.

As I say looking at archive sites I'm amazed at the volume of news that was still being produced or that there was a wire reporter for British papers in Helsinki in 1939. Obviously there was false reporting - in that era and the Soviets immediately brings Walter Duranty to mind - but I think it's pretty good to be honest.

In a way I think the immediacy of information now maybe gives a false sense of security or transparency of information. If you want to wait for actual knowledge then you'll need the second draft of history not the first - and even that will be revised 30 years later with further research