Daily Prophet

The Daily Prophet, the primary wizarding newspaper featuring animated black-and-white photographs, debuts in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as a reliable source of news on events like Sirius Black's escape. Throughout the series, it evolves from a somewhat neutral outlet into a tool manipulated by the Ministry of Magic, particularly under Cornelius Fudge's denial of Voldemort's return, smearing Harry and Dumbledore as liars. Post-return, under Dolores Umbridge's influence, it becomes a propaganda machine suppressing truth, only regaining credibility after the Battle of Hogwarts when the Ministry reforms and Rita Skeeter's exposés aid the reconstruction.