RESEARCH into the pioneering Northern Echo editor WT Stead could cement his position as one of the founders of modern journalism.

Owen Mulpetre has already completed a disertation on the titan of Victorian newspapers and his campaign against child prostitution, now published on the Internet.

Now the Teesside University student is looking at Stead's role in developing a new form of journalism while he edited the Echo, from 1871 to 1880.

Owen was searching for a subject to research as part of a history degree when his tutor showed him one of Stead's articles on child prostitution in the Pall Mall Gazette.

Owen said: "There are two schools of thought - that he did it for purely commercial reasons, to sell newspapers, or that he felt there was a lot of abuse of the working classes.

"When you look at his writing in The Northern Echo you find the same kind of language and he hints at his concerns over child prostitution in some very early articles."

After finishing his first degree, Owen decided to stick with Stead for a Master of Philosophy degree, but now looking at his influence over a new style of journalism.

He said: "They say he was one of the founders of modern journalism and I'm trying to see whether that started at the Pall Mall Gazette or The Northern Echo.

"And from what I've found so far, I personally think it started with The Northern Echo, the same kind of language is being used. His idea was that sensationalism was fine as long as it was serving a justified cause."

He said Stead's own approach came from both his fiercely Nonconformist religious views and his lack of journalistic training.

"There was an etiquette in journalism at the time but Stead has this rampaging style."

Owen's initial research has been published on the Internet and can be read through The Northern Echo's CommuniGate site, which helps community groups get online, on www.communigate.co.uk/ne/ wtsteadpage.

Groups wanting to take advantage of CommuniGate can contact communitys not bunke