Amber Wilkinson Ink Art
The world of cinema and media is often defined by the stories it tells, and sometimes, the most compelling narratives are found in the history of the publishing world. This dynamic energy is perfectly captured in James Graham’s adaptation of Danny Boyle’s stage play, a project that moves with a speed reminiscent of a printing press itself.
But the story of media transformation has roots that stretch back further than the silver screen. It begins in 1969, when the trajectory of Rupert Murdoch’s empire began to take shape through the recruitment of Albert “Larry” Lamb. Lamb, a Yorkshireman who had been working on the northern outpost of the Daily Mail in Manchester, was about to embark on a journey that would redefine his relationship with the press.
Lamb, portrayed with sharp intensity by Jack O’Connell, saw an opportunity to inject something entirely new into the established system. He sought to craft a different vision for the news, a pursuit that required a certain kind of freedom, which Rupert Murdoch, despite his own reservations, eventually granted him—provided the circulation figures were moving in the right direction.
This pursuit was fraught with tension. When Lamb took the helm, the newspaper he was steering, The Sun, was widely considered a commercial failure, selling only 650,000 copies. This stark reality served as a vivid reminder of the wider decline newspapers were experiencing.
The shift in the media landscape is dramatic. While The Sun struggled, the UK’s best-selling paper as of January 2026, the Daily Mail, had shifted by a staggering 620,000 copies, illustrating the enormous volatility in the industry.
For a man like Lamb, enjoying a healthy salary and a Jaguar, time was a precious commodity. Despite the weight of his vision and the commercial pressures, the decision to pursue a more creative, different path demonstrates the enduring human desire to shape the narrative rather than simply report it.
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