ABSTRACT
The origins of the assignment lie in the extraordinary friendship that developed between George Orwell and the millionaire Observer journalist and old-Etonian David Astor, whose father owned the paper and who was to be editor from 1948 to 1975. More problematic is Orwell’s repeated reference to being a ‘newcomer’. One of the most fascinating and problematic features of Orwell’s war reporting centres on his use of sources. Most journalists base their reporting on eye-witness observations and interviews – very often on elite sources. Orwell’s other most prominent sources are newspapers. Always fascinated by newspapers in their own right, he uses them as sources of information and as an indicator of political attitudes. Orwell’s ambivalent attitude to journalism has certainly influenced critical responses. Journalism also enabled Orwell to resolve some of the issues he felt strongly about relating to communication and audience. Journalism also provided Orwell with the medium through which he could deal with fellow socialists on an equal footing.
