Politicians often take to Twitter to point out each other’s mistakes or share contrary opinions. It was no different in the Victorian Period, with one exception: they didn’t have Twitter. Clap-backs, jabs, and trolling are all part of a modern existence on Twitter but we don’t often see the snarky tone of Twitter in traditional print media today. In the Victorian Period, it was quite normal for politicians to own and edit their own newspapers to their advantage.

When the City Clerk’s office put out a call for tenders for the City’s printing contracts for the year, it did so in three parts. When the Daily News submitted their proposal for all three parts and were not rewarded the contract, they publicly blamed the City Clerk. The Mayor and members of council got involved – mostly through their respective publications – and the resulting language could be described as sharp, direct, and over the top.

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