I still believe in the power of the Press to change lives

Nov 9 2008 by Ken Oxley, Sunday Sun

MUCH was made of the power of the Press in the wake of the Ross-Brand affair.

The Daily Mail can rightly claim the credit for orchestrating outrage where none existed, setting in motion a chain of events that resulted in three high-profile resignations and a £1.3m slap on the wrist for Ross.

Some of my fellow journalists could be forgiven for feeling ever so slightly smug when Brand and Ross got their comeuppance.

It was, after all, a victory for good, old-fashioned newsprint. And — at a time when journalism is increasingly multi-media driven — proof that newspapers were still capable of setting the agenda.

I never doubted it, but I took no pleasure in the hysteria whipped up by those who jumped on the “sack ‘em” bandwagon.

It was overblown nonsense that pandered to a reactionary minority, many of whom appeared far more incensed than the actual victim of the abusive calls, Andrew Sachs.

You’ll find much better examples of the power of the Press in local newspapers. Stories that change lives, rather than those that merely stir up controversy.

Week in, week out, the Sunday Sun’s very own Mr Justice champions the cause of readers with an astonishing rate of success. This year alone, he has helped 991 of them.

Earlier this week, there was a particularly good example in our sister paper, the Chronicle, which highlighted the plight of double amputee Mick Skee.

Mick, of Gateshead, was furious that airline Jet2 had refused to waive its excess baggage charge for his spare false legs . . . even though they don’t charge for wheelchairs, which are much heavier.

After the paper’s involvement, the company changed its mind and apologised . . . and even gave the dad-of-four a full refund.

Stories such as these demonstrate that print journalism — for all the pressure it’s under right now — is still a force to be reckoned with.