British peer
Family archive image of Sydney Jacobson from 1930s
Sydney Jacobson, Baron Jacobson
MC
, (26 October 1908,
Zeerost
,
Transvaal
– 13 August 1988,
St Albans
,
Hertfordshire
) was a British journalist, editor and political commentator.
Early years
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Jacobson was the only son and elder child of Samuel and Anna Jacobson, a
Jewish
couple originally from Germany who ran an ostrich farm. In 1914 the family returned to
Frankfurt am Main
for a holiday. They were
interned
on the outbreak of
World War I
. His father was drowned when the ship in which he was trying to return to South Africa sank. The family went to live in
Wales
with relatives, the family of
Lewis Silkin
.
Jacobson and his mother subsequently moved to London where he attended
Strand School
and studied journalism at
King's College London
. He started out on local newspapers but by 1934 was assistant editor of
The Statesman
newspaper in
Calcutta
. On his return to England he became assistant editor of the pocket-sized literary and humour magazine
Lilliput (magazine)
in October 1937.
Wartime years
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During
World War II
Jacobson served with the
Middlesex Regiment
(Duke of Cambridge's Own) and rose to the rank of major. He was awarded the
Military Cross
in 1944 in recognition of his exemplary gallantry.
Journalism
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Metal printing plate from the election-issue Daily Mirror of 10 October 1974
After the war he returned to journalism and worked as a feature writer on the pioneering photojournalistic magazine
Picture Post
under its influential editor
Tom Hopkinson
. He went on to work as political editor of the
Daily Mirror
for 10 years before becoming editor of the
Daily Herald
and its replacement
The Sun
; he was appointed editorial director of the
International Publishing Corporation
(IPC) in 1965.
By 1974 Jacobson was deputy chairman of IPC working under his friend and colleague of many years
Hugh Cudlipp
. During one of the two General Elections that year Jacobson was responsible for at least two of the
Daily Mirror
'
s best-known front pages - one bore nothing but a photograph of the then Prime Minister
Edward Heath
and the words, "AND NOW HE HAS THE NERVE TO ASK FOR A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE." The other read, "FOR ALL OUR TOMORROWS VOTE LABOUR TODAY."
Latter years
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On 16 July 1975, Jacobson was made a
life peer
as
Baron Jacobson
of St Albans in
Hertfordshire
.
[1]
(
The Times
newspaper
reports
that he had previously declined a knighthood in 1968.) He retired from journalism the same year.
Sydney Jacobson died in August 1988. He was survived by his wife, June, their daughter Ruth and sons Colin and
Philip
, also a journalist. At a thanksgiving service at the "journalists' church"
St Bride's
off of
Fleet Street
in London
Hugh Cudlipp
used his address to launch an attack on the state of British
tabloid
newspapers.
References
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]
Media offices
|
Preceded by
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Editor of the
Daily Herald
1962–1964
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Succeeded by
Position abolished
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Preceded by
New position
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Editor of
The Sun
1964–1965
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Succeeded by
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