Papers pick over bones of Black's woes

By Will Smale
BBC News Online business reporter

Lord Black's troubles have been met with some glee on Fleet Street

It appears there is nothing the UK's national newspapers like better than the fall from grace of one of the industry's biggest moguls.

Especially if the magnate in question has a reputation for being prickly and having enough enemies for a one-man re-enactment of the Charge of the Light Brigade.

Lord Conrad Black of Crossharbour, having been a power behind the news for so long, now finds himself at the centre of his rivals' coverage.

And it is somewhat unsurprising that quite a few of the national newspapers (apart from the ones he still owns) have decided to give Lord Black a verbal savaging now his empire looks like collapsing.

Both (Black and Robert Maxwell) exhibited megalomaniac tendencies Roy Greenslade, The Guardian

Led by The Guardian and The Independent, Wednesday's papers ran towards the Lord Black carrion with knives sharpened and ramekins overflowing with relish.

But it was perhaps The Sun wot did it best.

Helpfully explaining to its readers than you had to be a bit rich to own a newspaper, it claimed "millionaire" Black "could be facing prison over a £19m financial scandal".

It went on to speculate that Black could be "humiliatingly" stripped of his peerage like Jeffery Archer.

At fellow Murdoch journal The Times, its extensive coverage delighted in telling its readers all about Black's opulent lifestyle.

Private jets

Its reporter Giles Whittel worried that Hollinger - Black's company - was now getting rid of the private jets, but said Black may keep his three mansions.

Yet with honourable balance, The Times also quoted Black's chum Dan Colson denying there had been any wrong doing.

He was quoted as saying: "It's all rather unfortunate, an unfortunate administrative cock-up. Everybody, including me, thought that the payments had been authorised by the non-executive directors."

The fact of the matter is, unfortunately, that Conrad has a real contempt for journalists Unnamed Telegraph source

And Boris Johnson, effervescent editor of the Black-owned Spectator, added that he was a great bloke - "a thoroughly benevolent and charming proprietor".

The Daily Express handled the story with a straight bat, but behind the scenes you could almost picture owner Richard Desmond jumping into the air while opening magnums of champagne. And lighting a Cuban.

Desmond and Black both own equal half shares in news printing operation West Ferry Printers, and have historically never seen eye to eye on the issue.

Self-restraint

Desmond, who now has the first option of buying out the plant should the Telegraph change hands, said: "We hope any prospective buyer has got their printing in place."

Journalists on the Daily Mirror and the Daily Mail also handled with story with self-restraint.

The Mirror said there should be no shortage of potential buyers - but didn't mention itself - and the Daily Mail also quoted Dan Colson.

Perhaps shielding its readers from the dangers of unfettered free market economics, the Mail gave few opinions of Black's conduct.

Over at the Black-owned Daily Telegraph readers could be forgiven for thinking that dear beloved Conrad had gone with a carriage clock and framed front page of the paper.

Extensive spreads

For far from having had to resign, it said Black had "retired".

And the story remained firmly hidden away on its business back page.

While the Telegraph chose not to speculate about its potential sale, its American sister paper the Chicago Sun-Times was quick to pour scorn on any speculation about itself.

It said: ''There wouldn't be great demand for the Chicago Sun-Times operation."

Back in Blighty it was riotous celebration at The Independent and The Guardian, with both front pages leading on the story, and the word "humiliating" featuring prominently in their extensive spreads of coverage.

An unnamed Telegraph source was quoted in The Independent as saying: "The fact of the matter is, unfortunately, that Conrad has a real contempt for journalists."

That is one thing journalists really do not like.

But perhaps most damning was Roy Greenslade in The Guardian, who compared Black's downfall to that of the late Robert Maxwell.

Mr Greenslade said: "Both exhibited megalomaniac tendencies."