Which fictional newspaper appears in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books?

The Daily Prophet is the fictional newspaper in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books.

It is the main newspaper of the British wizarding world and reports on politics, magical events, scandals, and public opinion. Harry and other characters often read it to learn how the wider wizarding community is interpreting events.

The paper is headquartered in London and is edited by Barnabas Cuffe during much of the series. Its reporting becomes especially important when the Ministry of Magic attempts to control the public narrative about Lord Voldemort’s return.

The Daily Prophet is not presented as a consistently reliable source. Rowling uses its changing coverage to show how newspapers can reflect institutional pressure, commercial interests, and fear. The newspaper’s name is a wordplay on “daily” news and a “prophet” who announces events.