How trustworthy are newspaper accounts from the war?

[Felix C]

Have read quite a few newspaper accounts of naval incidents from 1914-1915 and some have drawn from official Admiralty announcements and others are of unknown providence.

Wonder if fabrication of experiences as part of propaganda or disinformation would be the case or not.

What have been your experiences in reading or research?

[John_Hartley]

About as trustworthy then as now - about just about anything. Packed full of political propaganda.

[David B]

Down at the bottom of the pecking order of people that one can trust are solicitors, used car salesmen, real estate agents and journalists. Work it out yourself.

[BillyH]

Down at the bottom of the pecking order of people that one can trust are solicitors, used car salesmen, real estate agents and journalists. Work it out yourself.

You missed Financial Advisers I think?

BillyH.

[David B]

Sorry I forgot about that lot.

[Guest]

The soldiers letters published, at least earlier in the war, seem authentic. They didn't fabricate, or 'edit' them, did they?

Mike

[egbert]

The soldiers letters published, at least earlier in the war, seem authentic. They didn't fabricate, or 'edit' them, did they?

Mike

If a soldier forgot to edit them they were censored, isn't that something modern day forum moderators still do?

[ss002d6252]

The soldiers letters published, at least earlier in the war, seem authentic. They didn't fabricate, or 'edit' them, did they?

Mike

The early to mid 1915 the letters that I've seen for the DLI T.F. men appear to be pretty much uncensored - place names are often present and the names of other officers and men are present as are discussions of casualties. From about mid 1915 there's a a sudden stoppage of letters in the papers so presumably they stepped up the censorship.

Craig

[Guest]

isn't that something modern day forum moderators still do?

I was meaning letters from early 1915 mainly, some are really quite honest?

Mike

[ss002d6252]

Although by the Lt Col of the Bn, this clipping is typical of the sort of info I have found (7th DLI)

Craig

[David Filsell]

Asan ex journo , I feel quite disappointed not to find bankers and politicians above me in the list.