End of an era as last two journalists leave Fleet Street

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published August 06, 2016

LONDON: Three decades after media mogul Rupert Murdoch instigated its de­mise as the centuries-old home of Britain’s newspaper industry, London’s Fleet Street bade farewell on Friday to its last two journalists.

Fleet Street once housed thousands of reporters, editors and printers working for the country’s biggest national papers as well as international and provincial publications. While the British press is still collectively known as “Fleet Street”, there will no longer be any working journalists there after the Scottish-based Sunday Post newspaper closed its London operation.

“It’s a far sadder day for journalism than it is for me personally,” said Darryl Smith, 43, one of the street’s last two “hacks”. “Journalism is no more in Fleet Street.”

The thoroughfare became synonymous with publishing from 1500 when Wynkyn de Worde established a printing press. The first daily newspaper, the Daily Courant, was launched in 1702.

In the shadow of St Paul’s Cathedral, the street was ideally located for journalists, being in walking distance of the city’s financial district, the Royal Courts of Justice and politicians in Westminster.

Murdoch, who bought the News of the World tabloid in 1969, was at the heart of the street’s decline when in 1986 he moved his newspaper stable, which by then included the Times and Sunday Times broadsheets and the Sun tabloid, to a new purpose-built operation in east London, where new technology replaced the hot metal printing presses.

Within three years, all other national newspapers had followed, anxious to cut costs in an industry now decimated by the growth of the internet. Journalists have long departed the old Reuters headquarters at number 85, now the site of a smart restaurant.

Nowadays the street that once echoed to the sounds of clattering typewriters is the haunt of bankers and accountants; the Art Deco building that once housed the Daily Express is now home to Goldman Sachs.

“It’s mainly bankers now,” Smith said. “I’m not even sure that people here now know the history.”

He began working on Fleet Street at 18, lured by its famous past.

His fellow departing Sunday Post colleague Gavin Sherriff, 54, began working at the paper in Fleet Street 32 years ago when it was still in its heyday, rising from editorial assistant to become London chief reporter.

“When you came into the office you felt like you were walking into somewhere a bit special. It was a smoke-filled room, you couldn’t see from one side to another, full of people bashing away on old-fashioned typewriters, struggling to get through on bad phone lines,” he recalled.

Nowadays, there is little to indicate the street’s past. The building in which Sherriff and Smith worked is another rare throwback, emblazoned in giant type with the names of newspaper titles: Sunday Post, Dundee Courier and People’s Journal.

“We have been very aware we were the last two journalists here,” Smith said. “I think it’s a sad piece of history. I love my profession, I love the history of Fleet Street and I love that I was working here.” - Reuters

Sindhi journalist AD Shar brutally murdered, PFUJ declares three-day mourning

 April 11, 2025:  Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.

AJK government registers case against newspaper and staff

 April 10, 2025:  The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.

Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges FIA threats, possible arrest over reporting

 April 08, 2025:  Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.

Noorani’s missing brothers: Court orders IG to produce individuals

 April 07, 2025:  The Islamabad High Court has directed IG Islamabad to produce journalist Ahmad Noorani’s missing brothers, as the Ministry of Defence denies custody. SIM activity was traced in Bahawalpur, and investigations into their suspected abduction continue.

Journalist Farhan Mallick granted bail

 April 07, 2025:  Journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick has been granted bail by a Karachi court in a case concerning anti-state content aired on his YouTube channel. He still faces separate charges related to an alleged illegal call center and data theft.

Ghulam Abbas Shah joins Discover Pakistan as Head of Programming

 April 03, 2025:  Veteran journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah has joined Discover Pakistan Television as the Head of Programming. With 25 years of experience in leading news organizations, he looks forward to contributing to quality storytelling and content.

PFUJ condemns Pakistani journalists' visit to Israel as an ethical violation

 April 02, 2025:  The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the visit of a group of Pakistani journalists to Israel, calling it a violation of journalistic ethics and a betrayal of press freedom and human rights. PFUJ demands a transparent investigation into the matter.

Can films fight terrorism? Dawn raises doubts

 March 30, 2025:  Dawn criticizes Pakistan’s plan to use TV dramas against extremism, highlighting financial and digital challenges. Can media alone solve deep-rooted issues?