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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Mail Online boss: ‘We don’t stoke fears about immigration’ | Mail Online boss: ‘We don’t stoke fears about immigration’ |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Mail Online publisher Martin Clarke has vigorously defended the website’s coverage of immigration ahead of Thursday’s EU referendum, saying the migrant story that prompted a correction last week still involved people “in the back of a van illegally.” | Mail Online publisher Martin Clarke has vigorously defended the website’s coverage of immigration ahead of Thursday’s EU referendum, saying the migrant story that prompted a correction last week still involved people “in the back of a van illegally.” |
| “We’ve reported people’s very legitimate fears over immigration,” he told MediaGuardian on Tuesday. “We don’t stoke the fears. The fears are there.” | “We’ve reported people’s very legitimate fears over immigration,” he told MediaGuardian on Tuesday. “We don’t stoke the fears. The fears are there.” |
| On Friday, the Daily Mail was criticised by independent charity the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants over a front-page story that first appeared on Clarke’s website claiming that a group of migrants who arrived in the UK in the back of a lorry were from Europe. | On Friday, the Daily Mail was criticised by independent charity the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants over a front-page story that first appeared on Clarke’s website claiming that a group of migrants who arrived in the UK in the back of a lorry were from Europe. |
| The fact they were from the Middle East resulted in the correction. | The fact they were from the Middle East resulted in the correction. |
| “I regret getting anything wrong,” said Clarke. “But if you want to try to demolish the legitimate fears and concerns over immigration on the basis of one story then that’s ridiculous.” | “I regret getting anything wrong,” said Clarke. “But if you want to try to demolish the legitimate fears and concerns over immigration on the basis of one story then that’s ridiculous.” |
| “At the end of the day the people in that van did come from somewhere via somewhere. They may not have been from Europe but they were in the back of a van illegally.” | “At the end of the day the people in that van did come from somewhere via somewhere. They may not have been from Europe but they were in the back of a van illegally.” |
| “Obviously you regret getting anything wrong, but I would say on behalf both the website and the paper that the agency responsible for that story is not one that I would expect to have to double check.” | “Obviously you regret getting anything wrong, but I would say on behalf both the website and the paper that the agency responsible for that story is not one that I would expect to have to double check.” |
| He added that, given the most popular stories on the site and the comments left on it: “I’m guessing our readers are pro-Brexit.” | He added that, given the most popular stories on the site and the comments left on it: “I’m guessing our readers are pro-Brexit.” |
| ‘Sidebar of shame’ | ‘Sidebar of shame’ |
| In a bullish interview on board the biggest of the Mail’s two yachts in Cannes this week, Clarke took aim at critics of his website’s so-called “sidebar of shame” and said there was “no alternative” to the ad-funded model for newspaper websites. | In a bullish interview on board the biggest of the Mail’s two yachts in Cannes this week, Clarke took aim at critics of his website’s so-called “sidebar of shame” and said there was “no alternative” to the ad-funded model for newspaper websites. |
| Those who fear the media’s obsession with body image and its impact on young readers have long criticised Mail Online for stories on the right hand side of the site, which is overwhelmingly populated by female bodies. | Those who fear the media’s obsession with body image and its impact on young readers have long criticised Mail Online for stories on the right hand side of the site, which is overwhelmingly populated by female bodies. |
| “The women who appear in that column want to be in it,” said Clarke. “Trust me. They are obsessive about it. | “The women who appear in that column want to be in it,” said Clarke. “Trust me. They are obsessive about it. |
| “Look at Instagram. Who posts all the pictures of themselves in their posh frock or with their bikini body or in swimsuit? Who does that? It’s not generally men … You can only deal with society as it is.” | “Look at Instagram. Who posts all the pictures of themselves in their posh frock or with their bikini body or in swimsuit? Who does that? It’s not generally men … You can only deal with society as it is.” |
| Related: Sun and Mail ignore the economy to push migration message on Brexit | Related: Sun and Mail ignore the economy to push migration message on Brexit |
| Both Clarke and his chief of staff said that the column is overwhelmingly read and written by women. | Both Clarke and his chief of staff said that the column is overwhelmingly read and written by women. |
| With the Daily Mail expected to come out in favour of Brexit, in opposition to the Mail on Sunday, Clarke said the website “tried to do it straight” despite promoting the views of pro-Brexit columnist Katie Hopkins. | With the Daily Mail expected to come out in favour of Brexit, in opposition to the Mail on Sunday, Clarke said the website “tried to do it straight” despite promoting the views of pro-Brexit columnist Katie Hopkins. |
| ‘Wait and see’ on profits | ‘Wait and see’ on profits |
| DMGT, the company behind the website, warned of worse than expected profits recently but Clarke said Mail Online would start making a profit “sooner than you think”. When asked when, he simply said: “wait and see.” | DMGT, the company behind the website, warned of worse than expected profits recently but Clarke said Mail Online would start making a profit “sooner than you think”. When asked when, he simply said: “wait and see.” |
| Clarke scoffed at the idea of charging for content, pointing out that US competitors like Buzzfeed or the Huffington Post were set to remain free. | Clarke scoffed at the idea of charging for content, pointing out that US competitors like Buzzfeed or the Huffington Post were set to remain free. |
| “They would come into Britain like a plague of locusts if British newspapers started retreating behind a paywall … if you want to make money you need to have a big global audience.” | “They would come into Britain like a plague of locusts if British newspapers started retreating behind a paywall … if you want to make money you need to have a big global audience.” |
| With more than 815 employees around the world, about half of whom are journalists, Clarke said he was still hiring. Almost all editorial investment will be focused on the US in the near term. | |
| He said Mail Online publishes more than 1,600 stories, 20,000 pictures and 650 videos a day. | He said Mail Online publishes more than 1,600 stories, 20,000 pictures and 650 videos a day. |
| More than 60% of its UK audience and 40% in the US comes direct to the site, not via social media in the UK. “I don’t want to have my business riding on a Facebook algorithm,” he said. | More than 60% of its UK audience and 40% in the US comes direct to the site, not via social media in the UK. “I don’t want to have my business riding on a Facebook algorithm,” he said. |
| Unlike most of Mail Online’s rivals, Clarke is not unduly bothered by ad blocking, saying it is not “a particular issue at the moment”. | Unlike most of Mail Online’s rivals, Clarke is not unduly bothered by ad blocking, saying it is not “a particular issue at the moment”. |
| Unlike the website, the print titles are profitable. Asked whether the company would ever become online-only, Clarke said: “It’s not my call but wouldn’t have thought so for a very long time.” | Unlike the website, the print titles are profitable. Asked whether the company would ever become online-only, Clarke said: “It’s not my call but wouldn’t have thought so for a very long time.” |
| Clarke said he was having “several conversations” about potential non-English-language sites but not in the short term. | Clarke said he was having “several conversations” about potential non-English-language sites but not in the short term. |
| He was also dismissive of recent talks between rival newspaper groups about a joint ad sales venture. “It’s called a cartel, it’s illegal,” he said, adding that it wouldn’t be an attractive proposition even if it was legal. | He was also dismissive of recent talks between rival newspaper groups about a joint ad sales venture. “It’s called a cartel, it’s illegal,” he said, adding that it wouldn’t be an attractive proposition even if it was legal. |
| Asked whether the power of editor-in-chief Paul Dacre was waning, Clarke said: “I have known and worked with Paul for almost 30 years and I would not say his power was waning.” | Asked whether the power of editor-in-chief Paul Dacre was waning, Clarke said: “I have known and worked with Paul for almost 30 years and I would not say his power was waning.” |