''Documentary News Letter'' was a

magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

about

documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

founded by filmmaker

John Grierson John Grierson (26 April 1898 – 19 February 1972) was a Scottish documentary maker, often considered the father of British and Canadian documentary film. In 1926, Grierson coined the term "documentary" in a review of Robert J. Flaherty's '' ...

. The publication was developed as the wartime successor to ''World Film News'', which ceased publication in 1938, and sought to promote a "documentary approach to everyday living." It published its first edition in January 1940, with an editorial board that consisted of Grierson,

Paul Rotha Paul Rotha (3 June 1907 – 7 March 1984) was an English documentary film-maker, film historian and critic. Early life and education He was born Paul Thompson in London, and educated at Highgate School and at the Slade School of Fine Art. Care ...

Basil Wright Basil Charles Wright (12 June 1907 – 14 October 1987) was an English documentary filmmaker, film historian, film critic and teacher. Biography Basil Wright was born in Sutton, Surrey in 1907. After leaving Sherborne School, a well known i ...

, Arthur Elton and Thomas Baird. ''Documentary News Letter'' featured editorials and film reviews written by members of the

Documentary Film Movement The Documentary Film Movement is the group of British filmmakers, led by John Grierson, who were influential in British film culture in the 1930s and 1940s. Principles The founding principles of the movement were based on Grierson's views of docu ...

. Wright has stated that the magazine was influential during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, influencing the Ministry of Information's approach to film propaganda. In its reviews, ''Documentary News Letter'' was particularly critical of films which it considered "inauthentic", notably films directed by

Humphrey Jennings Frank Humphrey Sinkler Jennings (19 August 1907 – 24 September 1950) was an English documentary filmmaker and one of the founders of the Mass Observation organisation. Jennings was described by film critic and director Lindsay Anderson in 1 ...

References

External links

''Documentary News Letter''
online at the

University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, f ...

1940 establishments in the United Kingdom 1949 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Film magazines published in the United Kingdom Defunct magazines published in the United Kingdom Documentary film magazines English-language magazines Film studies journals Magazines established in 1940 Magazines disestablished in 1949 {{UK-culture-mag-stub