How reporting the news at Christmas has completely changed

Once news audiences weren’t so well served during the holiday, but nowadays the news never stops – not even for turkey

For a long time, newspaper readers were not well-served over the Christmas holidays.

As far back as 1912, a publisher of The Times decided not to print a Christmas Day edition – a move supposedly intended to give delivery boys a day off, and one followed by other publications. Many did not bother with Boxing Day editions either, until Kelvin MacKenzie, editor of The Sun from 1981 to 1994, started publishing on the day, effectively persuading others to follow suit, and forcing grumbling journalists to show up for work on 25 December.

Whether or not everybody wants to be reading the news in between unwrapping gifts, or combating bouts of indigestion, there’s no doubt a lot of news happens over the holidays.