Paper Monitor
11:23 UK time, Tuesday, 10 November 2009
A service highlighting the riches of the daily press.
Brits winning just over £91 on the EuroMillions. It's a good news story, isn't it? Well yes, but that's not enough for two of today's newspapers. They've managed to dig out some bad news among the celebratory champagnes corks.
In one there's the story of an unemployed man from Middlesex who thought he'd won and celebrated by putting £5,000 behind the bar of his local pub on Saturday night. He found out after the money had been spent that he wasn't one of the winners after all and is now £5,000 in debt.
In the other paper there's news of an eighth member of the winning work syndicate in Liverpool, who was thought to have recently quit the group because he was "too skint" to keep up with the weekly payments.
The story runs, even though it's been denied by the other winning members. But why let facts get in the way of such a "good" tale of bad luck (by that Paper Monitor means good in the media sense, which usually doesn't mean good for the person in the story).
Any guesses which papers printed these stories? Answers at the bottom of the page.
Coverage of the work syndicate's win has made three new media stars, with their pictures splashed across most newspapers. There's the chap giving the thumbs up from his office window in Liverpool and holding up a sign saying "I'm minted". There's also the man who left the office wearing a hastily-made smiley mask to conceal his identity. He's also giving the thumbs up. Finally, there's the hobby horse dressed in sunglasses and a fleece, with a sign saying "Lotto Winner" around its neck. Waiting media were told to form an orderly queue for interviews. These winners are rich and funny.
Answers: the story of the unemployed man was published in the Daily Mail and the story of the eighth syndicate member was in the Sun. Surprised? Maybe not.
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