The Triumvirate

This chapter outlines the three political and commercially competitive newspapers central to this study. These newspapers, despite hostilities towards each other, were significant enough described as the triumvirate. The Manchester Guardian, the forerunner to the modern broadsheet, was a liberal newspaper and the organ of the mill owners and commercial class. The conservative Manchester Courier was established to directly challenge the politics and sales of the Manchester Guardian. The radical Manchester Examiner and Times also competed for sales with its neighbour the Manchester Guardian. The story presented in the history texts considered here is one of street brawls, accusations of slander, cynical commercial decisions, and overt political perspectives. All three newspapers existed among rapidly changing technology, a commercially driven ambition for objectivity.