how "talented, courageous teams of reporters, producers and technical staff have brought us the news that we need to know... 2001 showed the task gets no easier, the expectations get higher, yet the standards still rise." (Jowell, The British Academy Television Awards, ITV, April 22, 2002)

Jowell's speech came two days before the Guardian devoted just 275 words on page 11 � sandwiched, appropriately enough, between two large adverts � to the news that British newspapers are "the least trusted in Europe". Research conducted by Eurobarometer, the polling arm of the European Commission, found that British papers were trusted by 20% of the population � less than half the European Union average of 46%. Fully 75% said they "tended not to trust" the written press. The next worst result was Italy � where the media is dominated by billionaire prime minister Silvio Berlusconi � where trust was 39%. (Ian Black, 'British newspapers are "the least trusted in Europe"', the Guardian, April 24, 2002)

Much the same is true of the US media. A survey commissioned by the American Society of Newspaper Editors showed that 78% of readers surveyed "thought the press was either not open-minded and neutral about facts, or pursued an agenda and shaped the news to report it." 78% also said that "powerful people or organisations can shape or kill a story. The most frequently cited groups to wield such influence were politicians and government officials, big business and rich individuals".

Overall 73% said they had "become more sceptical about the accuracy of news". More than half of all those surveyed believed the press to be out of touch with its readers. "In many ways � educational attainment, income, circle of friends and working hours � many journalists are in a different class [from average Americans]," the study said. (Edward Helmore, 'Get it right and make it fair, readers tell reporters', the Guardian, January, 4, 1999)

The media is inextricably linked to the wider corporate system in many ways � for example, by its dependence on advertising. Roy Greenslade described how most media owners, "have been disproportionately reliant on ad revenue..." (Roy Greenslade, 'Oh no, sales are up...' the Guardian, October 15, 2001)

Writing in the Observer in 2001, Richard Ingrams noted that The Daily Telegraph had lost 100,000 readers over the previous year, adding:

"No doubt this alarming fall explains a recent meeting between Telegraph executives and advertising agency J. Walter Thompson, at which the admen attacked the poor old Telegraph editor Charles Moore for his outdated Little England attitudes couple with homophobia." (Richard Ingrams's week, the Observer, November 4, 2001)

The consequences of a stock market-shaking disaster like September 11 are dire for a media so dependent on advertising. In the Guardian, Emily Bell described how "For the advertising-based media industry, the current recession is best characterised as abyss-shaped. Almost from nowhere, the ground has opened up under our feet and swallowed businesses, jobs, TV channels and magazines... The Independent on Sunday axed five journalists. IPCC, the magazine company, axed six titles and 115 staff in one fell�swoop." (Emily Bell, 'Staring into the abyss', Guardian, November, 19, 2001)

In the aftermath of September 11, journalists liked to present themselves as independent voices of reason, caution and restraint. In fact they were spokespeople for an industry in desperate need of a rapid and decisive response to the threat of terrorism to calm the nerves of the stock market and of advertisers. Peter Preston pointed in the direction of the truth in the Observer:

"When the Times � and it is by no means alone � wants something decisive done on the ground before 'the winter blizzards set in', something 'to show that the US genuinely means to fight and win', it also wants a resolution that will set advertising flowing again and slash the coverage costs. When it excoriates the 'long-haul' thesis, it inevitably has the full price of 'waiting till next spring' somewhere in mind." (Peter Preston, 'Too much jaw-jaw on war-war � Colin Powell may be talking about a 'long haul', but the media has neither the stomach nor finances for a protracted campaign,' the Observer, October 21, 2001)

Just three weeks after September 11, a BBC news reporter said:

"The time for talking is drawing to a close and the time for acting is approaching." (BBC 1 O'Clock news, October 4, 2001)