The best ever summary of the British view of the different newspapers is most famous for being used in an episode of "Yes Prime Minister" first broadcast in 1987.


Humphrey: "The only way to understand the Press is to remember that they pander to their readers' prejudices."
Hacker: Don't tell me about the press, I know exactly who reads the papers: The Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country; The Guardian is read by people who think they ought to run the country; The Times is read by people who actually do run the country; the Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country; the Financial Times is read by people who own the country; The Morning Star is read by people who think the country ought to be run by another country; and The Daily Telegraph is read by people who think it is.
Sir Humphrey: Prime Minister, what about the people who read The Sun?
Bernard: Sun readers don't care who runs the country, as long as she's got big tits.

The original attribution is less clear - it appears in print in "Using the Media" by Denis McShane, published in 1979. McShane attributed it to the Cyril Plant, president of the TUC, in 1976. Other sources attribute it to an anonymous advertising copywriter.


The piece in question comes about the 0:56 second mark.

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