Express Daybreak Never Comes

The latest story from the world of TV – not that it’s any surprise, given all the adverse publicity and bad ratings – is that ITV’s breakfast offering Daybreak is to part company with presenters Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley. The Mirror got the inside track on the news and the story leads its print edition. The reaction from the rest of the pack is equally interesting – and revealing.

The Super Soaraway Currant Bun picked up on the item and ran its own spoiler, which has at least been re-written to look original. But there is no credit for the Mirror, something which the Mail has also managed to miss from what looks like a more blatant lifting of the original. At least it gives hack Paul Revoir a change from his usual diet of Beeb bashing.

Even the quality end of the Fourth Estate has the story: the Maily Telegraph has an item linked from the front page of the paper’s website, plus they credit the Mirror. But one newspaper group has missed the story completely, although I’m sure they would dispute my contention that it’s because of the cheap and nasty approach of the titles concerned.

Yes, the empire of Richard “Dirty” Desmond has not – as at 1100 hours today – even mentioned Chiles’ and Bleakley’s axing. There is nothing on the website of the Daily Star, and the only item on that of the Express is a recycled press release about Ms Bleakley doing Dancing On Ice next year, which only serves to make the omission look that much worse.

That’s what happens when a paper is made more profitable by cutting resources to the bone. Everybody else gets the story out – sooner or later in the morning – but Des and his dwindling band of hacks miss it, even though it’s the kind of news they should be chasing. That’ll be another Benchmark Of Excellence.