Fudge and the Daily Prophet

[quigonginger]

No: HPFGUIDX 85117

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "silver_owl_01" 
<silver_owl_01 at y...> wrote:
> I just reread GoF and I noticed something a little odd. 
> 
> How come Fudge is able to force the Daily Prophet to change it's
> editorial line to attack Harry and Dumbledore in OotP but he can't
> stop them from tearing him and the MoM a new one over the Quiddich 
Cup
> debacle? I seriously doubt Rita is the only reporter that likes to
> embarass the MoM so, why the change in attitude? Rita Skeeter kept
> going after them and Fudge seemed very frustrated about not being 
able
> to do anything about it. But in OotP he has them fall in line. Did 
he
> had the power to this all along and just needed to grow a backbone 
to
> use it, or did he changed the laws to give him that power?
> 
> Does anybody have any theory about this? I just doesn't seem to make
> sense to me.
> 
> Silver Owl

Ginger weighs in:
I've read some good responses, esp. those referring to "Deep Pockets" 
Malfoy, but my first impression was that this is how papers run.  
Harry found this out in GoF.  Rita's first story was about the great 
tragic little hero, and then he was the nutter (Gone a bit off on me, 
hasn't she?) 

If you read Muggle tabloids, and I admit I only know of those in the 
States, you see it quite a bit.  Just look at any series of stories 
about the Royal Family.  They go from saint to sinner and back again 
on a whim.  

Give them a bigger fish to fillet and off they go.  As long as the 
MoM was the biggest shish to kebob, they went in skewer after skewer, 
but as soon as Harry gave his "unbelievable" story, the MoM was small 
potatoes.

Sure, they had Rita's lead to follow.  They had seen that anything 
with Harry sold like hotcakes.  Now that they know that Harry is 
telling the truth, the MoM will be back on the front burner.  Fudge 
will have egg on his face, and the Prophet will conveniently forget 
that they went along with it.  

By the time people get bored Harry being the Golden Boy, someone will 
come up with something to discredit him again, and off they'll go 
with the next hunk of bologna until he does something brave, and then 
he'll be the toast of the WW again.  Repeat ad nauseum.

Of course, it could be a conspiracy.  That would be much more 
interesting.  Anyone care to tread that path?

Ginger, who is getting hungry