How trustworthy are newspaper accounts from the war?

[corisande]

Danke vielmals

[Felix C]

Yes, big battles would necessarily be propagandized. From my narrow frame of preference it dealt with individual ship sinkings. 

[corisande]

16 minutes ago, Felix C said:

From my narrow frame of preference it dealt with individual ship sinkings. 

It seems to be a question of quantity as well as qualiry

The newspaper archives on FmP show about 200 mentions of the sea battle at Coronel (British lost) but about 700 for the related sea battle at the Falklands (British won)

[Felix C]

59 minutes ago, corisande said:

It seems to be a question of quantity as well as qualiry

The newspaper archives on FmP show about 200 mentions of the sea battle at Coronel (British lost) but about 700 for the related sea battle at the Falklands (British won)

Even more narrow. Individual merchant ship sinkings. 

[charlie2]

https://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/0006/bsb00063941/images/index.html?fip=193.174.98.30&seite=773&pdfseitex=

[Felix C]

1 hour ago, charlie2 said:

https://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/0006/bsb00063941/images/index.html?fip=193.174.98.30&seite=773&pdfseitex=

Warspite was hit so often it is possible to think sunk. Invincible not mentioned. I wonder what the purported small cruiser action was. Otherwise not to shabby for fog of war and a June 3 headline. I wonder how much was gleaned from POWs. 

Lothar Persius in a 1919 book complained how the press lied to the German public once shipping losses to submarines declined in 1917 after the initial heady numbers. Germans were so sold on unrestricted submarine warfare as being a savior in their fortunes that the declension in sinkings was covered up to appear as if the campaign was working. 

Edited 26 October , 2021 by Felix C

[David Filsell]

I was once told that a journalist was only as good as his sources and his invention. A harsh judgement perhaps but in war the reality is that much that is reported is almost certainly compromised by acident and urgency rather by design. Add to that the inevitable fact that in wartime victory is more important than total factual accuracy in reportage 

Regards David