Churnalism to sell holidays, cheese, toothpaste, sandwiches...

As well as helping to uncover the extent of phone hacking at the News of the World, Nick Davies also brought 'churnalism' to people's attention. Davies wrote in the Press Gazette in 2008:

Where once we were active gatherers of news, we have become passive processors of second-hand material generated by the booming PR industry and a handful of wire agencies, most of which flows into our stories without being properly checked. The relentless impact of commercialisation has seen our journalism reduced to mere churnalism...

All local and regional media outlets in Britain - print and broadcast - have been swamped by a tide of churnalism. The scale and quality of coverage has been swept away. But the tide has not stopped in the provinces. The big national outlets can still support some real journalism, but here too, churnalism has swept through newsrooms.

Despite Mail editor Paul Dacre telling a parliamentary Select Committee that he 'refutes' the charge of churnalism at his paper, it and others still rely on PR to fill their pages. Flick through any newspaper on any day and you will usually find at least one story based on 'surveys' designed to get a company's name in the paper. Here are a few recent examples:

* Today, the Mail and Express are reporting that women pack too many items when they go away on holiday.

And which company conducted the survey of 2,000 women and would be interested in reminding people what essentials they need for their holidays?

Go Compare Travel insurance.

* Yesterday, the Mail and the Star reported that half our smiles are fake.

And which company conducted the survey of 3,000 people and would be interested in reminding people about their smiles?

'Toothpaste maker Biorepair'.

* On 6 July, the Express reported that 'one in seven Britons had laughed at a funeral'.

And which company conducted the survey of 2,000 people and would have an interest in reminding people about laughing?

'The Laughing Cow cheese company'.

* Also on 6 July, the Mail reported that people 'don't trust' dishwashers but found washing up by hand 'therapeutic'.

And which company conducted the survey of 3,000 people and would have an interest in reminding people about cleaning their home?

Vileda ('leaders in cleaning equipment').

* On 4 July, the Mail ran the headline 'Early lunch? The midday break is now a snack at 11am for workers'.

And which company conducted the survey of 2,000 people and would have an interest in reminding people about food at lunch time?

'Sandwich chain Subway'.

* On 29 June, the Mail ran the headline 'The end of the postcard: Facebook and texts mean 4 in 10 British holidaymakers no longer send notes to loved-ones'. The Express carried the same story, but not until 4 July.

And which company conducted the survey of 2,000 people and would have an interest in reminding people about their holidays?

'Online travel firm ebookers'.

* Also on 4 July, the Express reported that 'Women are so nifty in their fifties'.

And which company conducted the survey of 2,000 people and would have an interest in telling people how great life is after someone reaches 50?

Yours - the magazine for over 50s.

* On 10 June, the Mirror and the Express both reported that that day was the 'top day for sickies' as it was 'one of the busiest days for booking summer holidays'.

And which company conducted the survey and would have an interest in reminding people about booking a break?

'Travel website laterooms.com'.

* On 29 June, the Daily Mail reported that despite iPads, DVDs and computers, listening to the radio made people happiest.

And which company conducted the survey of 1,000 people and would have an interest in reminding people about how much people enjoy listening to the radio?

The Radio Advertising Bureau ('our aim is to encourage advertisers and agencies to consider radio more often as part of their communications solutions').

And on and on it goes...

Chris Atkins showed in February how easy it is for 'churnalism' to slip into the papers unchecked when several stories he had invented were regurgitated without question.

Because, as Davies reported in Flat Earth News:

80 per cent of [Fleet Street's news] is wholly, mainly or partially made up of second-hand material from PR and PA.

But that was one bit of research that many newspapers didn't want to report.