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‘Could that intro get any worse?’: Journalists weigh in on first episode of BBC One drama Press

By Charlotte Tobitt

New BBC One drama Press about two rival fictional newspapers was trending on Twitter last night as journalists reacted to the first episode of the primetime mini-series.

The hour-long opening episode drew such interest the hashtag #Press was trending on Twitter last night, with more than 3,600 tweets having been sent by 11.30pm.

Written by Doctor Foster creator Mike Bartlett, the show delves into the lives of journalists working at daily tabloid The Post and rival The Herald, the former an apparent amalgam of the Sun and Mirror and the latter a clear proxy for the Guardian.

In the first episode we follow Ed Washburn (Paapa Essiedu) a new reporter at the Post as he carries out his first death knock.  Meanwhile at the Herald deputy news editor Holly Evans (Charlotte Riley) is trying to get to the bottom of a hit-and-run death.

Press Gazette has said the show looks “set to be the TV show that finally delivers exciting drama grounded in the reality of modern newsroom life”.

But the show received mixed reviews on Twitter, with some pointing out its shortcomings in portraying the reality of being a journalist, while others saying they enjoyed it and would continue watching.

Even Piers Morgan got involved, responding to scepticism over the idea that a reporter would go undercover at another newspaper and giving a corrected version of real-life events.

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After seeing other journalists suggest Post editor Duncan Allen (Ben Chaplin – pictured) was inspired by him, Morgan later added:

Many reacted to young reporter Ed Washburn’s death knock experience, some telling their own traumatic stories.

One aspect of the programme that was excoriated by journalists was the opening to the hit-and-run scoop by deputy news editor Evans.

But some praised the show…

…while others were very critical of its depiction of the trade…

Picture: Colin Hutton/BBC

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