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Communication
The Daily Prophet
"The Prophet exists to sell itself, you silly girl."
-- Rita Skeeter to Hermione,
who had just asked whether the Prophet existed to tell
people what they want to hear
(OP25
The newspaper of the Wizarding World is called The Daily Prophet.
It has been in existence since at least 1883, since
Quidditch Through the Ages cites its coverage of Quidditch
from that time
(QA6).
The current editor is
Barnabas Cuffe
(HBP4). It has offices in
Diagon Alley (DP) and
publishes an edition every morning. Evening editions are also printed,
and these can apparently be delivered very quickly after an important story
breaks. A witch or wizard anywhere in Britain can have a copy in hand
within a short time of publication. For example, when Ron and Harry were
spotted by Muggles flying the Anglia, Snape had a copy of the Prophet
in his hand telling about it very shortly after they arrived
(CS5). One of the
Muggles who spotted them was in Peebles, which is relatively close to
Hogwarts, so the story couldn't have been more than an hour old at that
point. Alternatively, the text of a copy of the Prophet delivered
in the morning might change as the day wears on with the latest news using
something similar to the
Protean Charm which
Hermione used on the fake Galleons.
Typically, the Prophet is delivered each morning by owl post (PS5, GF28, OP12, HBP11). A subscription can be paid for in advance or the recipient can pay for the newspaper when it arrives by putting the coins in a small pouch on the leg of the post owl who delivers it. The cost per issue was five Knuts the summer before Harry's first year (PS5) but appears to have risen to seven Knuts later on (DP).
The Prophet is not the only publication in the Wizarding World, but it is almost certainly the most widely read. Stories in the Prophet often color public opinion to a great amount. When the Prophet published stories deriding Harry Potter and Dumbledore, most people in the Wizarding World believed what they read.
As happened during the summer of Y15, when Harry and Dumbledore were slandered in the Prophet, it is possible for the newspaper to be manipulated and for its content to be slanted intentionally. The Ministry of Magic was reponsible for the unfair journalism of that summer as Cornelius Fudge strove to discredit Dumbledore's account of the return of Voldemort. Unfortunately, the Prophet does not seem to have a lot of journalistic integrity, as is clear from the fact that Rita Skeeter wrote for it regularly until the spring of Y15.
The evening edition is called the Evening Prophet (CS5). The weekend edition is called the Sunday Prophet (OP38).
Known Daily Prophet Features
The Prophet does a zoological column every Wednesday (GF21), which was Rita's excuse for interviewing Hagrid during his Care of Magical Creatures class.
The Prophet's Quidditch section is headed by a boxed table of all the teams in the league ranked by total number of points scored (left hand column) with Forthcoming Matches listed side-by-side with it on the right. The rest of the Quidditch section consists of a series of articles on recent matches and other items of interest (see list of headlines below) (DP).
The Prophet has a Letters Page, generally with one letter singled out as the STAR LETTER. Some of the letters merit editorial responses, usually rather brief and in italics (DP).
The Prophet has a Classified Advertisements section, with subheadings of JOBS, FOR SALE, LONELY HEARTS. Rather than Post Office Boxes, the LONELY HEARTS advertisements direct replies to OWL BOX numbers. The BIRTHS and DEATHS also appear on this page (DP).
The Prophet has a Problem Page with experts in various fields who attempt to answer readers' questions on a variety of topics: medical queries, emotional dilemmas, legal problems, and everyday magical problems (DP).
The Prophet occasionally has a Fiendishly Difficult Crossword (DP).
Known Daily Prophet Personnel
Cuffe, Barnabas
Editor (HBP4)Gulch, Zamira
Addresses everyday magical problems for the Prophet's Problem Page (DP)Hurtz, Grizel
Addresses emotional dilemmas for the Prophet's Problem Page (DP)Oddpick, Winkus
Wrote what sounds like an op-ed column about goblins (DP)Skeeter, Rita
Reporter (GF10), Special Correspondent (GF23)Spleen, Professor Helbert
Of St. Mungo's, but addresses medical queries for the Prophet's Problem Page (DP)Wiggleswade, Dempster
Of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but also addresses legal problems for the Prophet's Problem Page (DP)(name unknown) a photographer who covered Gilderoy Lockhart's book signing for Magical Me at Flourish and Blotts (CS4)
Known Daily Prophet Headlines
FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES (CS5)
CANNONS GO DOWN IN A SHOWER OF ARROWS (DP)
FAULTY WANDS RECALLED (DP)
MAGPIE CHASER "ONLY TRIED FOOTBALL FOR A LAUGH" (DP)
MUGGLES NOT AS STUPID AS WE THINK, SAYS MINISTRY REPORT (DP)
Holyhead Harpies draw record crowd (DP)
CELESTINA WARBECK CONCERT CAUSES BROOM SMASH OVER LIVERPOOL (DP)
ENQUIRY AT THE IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE (DP)
'TROLL RIGHTS MOVEMENT OUT OF CONTROL' (DP)
WHY THE JOKE'S ON THE MINISTRY, NOT ON THE MUGGLES Holyhead Harpies draw record crowd (DP)
BATS SURVIVE THE TORNADOS (DP)
Cannons Didn't Lose Shock (DP)
Chaos Reigns on Exmoor for Falcons & Pride of Portree (DP)
Maddock blamed for Kestrels' win (DP)
Wilda wallops the Wigs (DP)
GOBLIN RIOTS ERUPT IN CHIPPING CLODBURY (DP)
Making sure the purchaser of your old wand is human (DP)
Why can't goblins be more like elves? by Winkus Oddpick (DP)
MUGGLEMANIAC MADDOCK MUST QUIT MAGPIES, SAYS MCLEOD (DP)
SEEKERS JINXED AS PRIDE OF PORTREE FALL TO THE ARROWS (DP)
BRAND NEW HARPY SAVES THE DAY (DP)
CHUDLEY CANNON WIN STUNS FANS (DP)
MINISTRY IMPOSES RESTRICTIONS (DP)
NEW POTION GIVES HOPE FOR HAGS (DP)
PUDDLEMERE CHASER VANISHES AMID CHAOS AT HOLYHEAD MATCH (DP)
CANNONS BLAST THE FALCONS (DP)
SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP by Rita Skeeter (GF10)
DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE by Special Correspondent Rita Skeeter (GF23)
MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM
DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST EVER HIGH INQUISITOR (OP15)MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN
MINISTRY FEARS BLACK IS 'RALLYING POINT' FOR OLD DEATH EATERS (OP25)TRAGIC DEMISE OF MINISTRY OF MAGIC WORKER (OP25)
HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED RETURNS (OP38)
You-Know-Who's Last Attempt to Take Over (OP38)
What the Ministry Should Have Told Us (OP38)
Why Nobody Listened to Albus Dumbledore (OP38)
Exclusive Interview with Harry Potter (actually bought from The Quibbler) (OP38)
HARRY POTTER: THE CHOSEN ONE? (HBP3)
SCRIMGEOUR SUCCEEDS FUDGE (HBP3)
(headline not given)
Stan Shunpike arrested (HBP11)(headline not given, Evening Prophet)
Arthur Weasley raided the Malfoys' house (HBP11)WANTED FOR QUESTIONING ABOUT THE DEATH OF ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
Front-page headline accompanied by a photo of Harry Potter (DH11)(headline not given)
Page 2 article announcing creation of the “Muggle-born Register” and formation of the “Muggle-born Registration Commission” — shown by Lupin to Harry, Ron and Hermione on August 2, 1997 (DH11).- EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT FROM THE UPCOMING BIOGRAPHY OF ALBUS DUMBLEDORE by
Rita Skeeter (DH11)
Accompanied by a picture captioned “The Dumbledore family, left to right: Albus; Percival, holding newborn Ariana; Kendra; and Aberforth” — shown by Lupin to Harry, Ron and Hermione on August 2, 1997 (DH11). -
Albus Dumbledore at Hogwarts — the Prizes and the Pretense (DH11)
(feature promised for the following week at the end of the article under the headline above) - SEVERUS SNAPE CONFIRMED AS HOGWARTS HEADMASTER (DH12)
Appearing in September 1, 1997 edition and accompanied by a large picture of Severus Snape
