The Express and Echo managed to scoop the nationals not once – but twice – with its now world-famous story of Phoenix the calf.
Phoenix was found alive among cattle corpses on a farm in the Westcountry and the photo that appeared on the Exeter paper’s front page is said to have prompted a Ministry of Agriculture announcement on changes to the culling programme.
Farmers Philip and Michaela Board got in touch with the paper, which along with others in foot-and-mouth-hit areas has featured the crisis heavily on its pages.
Echo editor Steve Hall said: “On the Monday the family that owns the calf got in touch with us.
“We’d done such comprehensive and campaigning coverage on foot and mouth, and our standing is high in the farming community, so it was an obvious thing for them to do.
“We led with the first picture of Phoenix on the Tuesday.
“Then by Wednesday, while the national were running their pictures and copy on what we’d already carried, we’d heard that the vets had gone back with the intention of killing the calf on Tuesday night but the family refused to let them on the farm.”
The Echo ran that story on the same day a change in policy was announced, lifting restrictions on farms which did not have foot and mouth.
When the paper went to press on Thursday there was still confusion at MAFF on whether the calf would be saved – despite the Downing Street announcement.
Vets are still monitoring the animal for signs of the disease.
He appeared on Radio 4’s PM programme after his photo appeared on the front of the Times and Telegraph and the inside pages of many other national papers.
He said: “The pictures were on the national desks by 9.00am on Tuesday followed up by telephone calls informing them what a great story Phoenix’s survival was (not that it need explaining).
“The first call I took on Wednesday was at 1.30am from GMTV, after that and throughout the morning I took calls from New Zealand, Australia and practically every country in Europe all wanting the pictures of Phoenix.
“I have followed up many a sensational story over the years, and it made a pleasant change to photograph a live farm animal after photographing the horror and carnage that has happened in the countryside since February.”
Do you have a story for us?
Ring the HoldTheFrontPage newsdesk on
01332 291111 x6022, or to e-mail us now – click here
Sign up for our free daily email bulletin
Follow HTFP on Twitter
Got a story? Email the Editor at