Silvester Bolam (23 October 1905 – 27 April 1953) was a British newspaper editor. Born in

Tynemouth Tynemouth () is a coastal town in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in Tyne and Wear, England. It is located on the north side of the mouth of the River Tyne, England, River Tyne, hence its name. It is east-northeast of Newcastle up ...

, Northumberland, Bolam studied at the University of Durham's Armstrong College before joining the '' Newcastle Journal''. He then moved to work for the '' News Chronicle'', and in 1936 became a sub-editor on the ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...

''. Although he left in 1938 to rejoin the ''News Chronicle'', he returned ten months later, and in 1948 became the newspaper's editor.Bolam, Silvester
, ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...

'' As editor, Bolam focused on a strategy of

sensationalism In journalism and mass media, sensationalism is a type of editorial tactic. Events and topics in news stories are selected and worded to excite the greatest number of readers and viewers. This style of news reporting encourages biased or emoti ...

, and was able to make the ''Mirror'' Britain's best-selling daily newspaper. In March 1949, after publishing material which might have prejudiced the trial of John George Haigh (later convicted of murder), he was jailed for three months for contempt of court. The ''Daily Mirror'' also fined £10,000. By 1953, he had fallen out with the paper's editorial director and resigned. He died a few months later.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolam, Silvester 1905 births 1953 deaths British newspaper editors British prisoners and detainees People from Tynemouth Daily Mirror people Alumni of Armstrong College, Durham People convicted of speech crimes Prisoners and detainees of England and Wales