Post a Reply
Back to the Forum
Ilike the Daily Mail, and the sun's o.k. On a Sunday I get the News of the world and the Sunday people, but mainly for the Magazines.
Posted: 18:52 Mar 27 2002
Newspapers
Newspapers. They are made of paper and they give us well, news. There are different types of newspapers, with different political affiliations and different audiences.
Personally, i like a variety of newspapers. I read both the Guardian and the Sun. They both have stuff i like (The Guardian has very good international news and The Sun has..well... naked women. And we all like naked women, don't we??
I'm sure there are people on here with the opinion that anything less than The Observer or The Independant is not a good newspaper and that all other papers are for the lowest common denominator but if that's the case, then colour me lowest common denominator and give me some T&A!
Personally, i like a variety of newspapers. I read both the Guardian and the Sun. They both have stuff i like (The Guardian has very good international news and The Sun has..well... naked women. And we all like naked women, don't we??
I'm sure there are people on here with the opinion that anything less than The Observer or The Independant is not a good newspaper and that all other papers are for the lowest common denominator but if that's the case, then colour me lowest common denominator and give me some T&A!
Posted: 18:52 Mar 27 2002 
I usually don't bother with newspapers, I tend to keep semi-up-to-day by surfing over to news.bbc.co.uk or www.ananova.com every day or so. 
Posted: 19:34 Mar 27 2002 
My parents got The Guardian for years, so that was generally what I read (while being well-appraised of it’s own prejudices and bias). I do glance through the daily copy, and continue to find it’s investigative articles, for example, to be both comprehensive and engrossing. However, I did become steadily disillusioned with its all-too-often supercilious and even lazy attitudes to major issues, constantly opting to play it safe with its perceived [liberal] audience. So I began to try some of the others more regularly, and The Independent in particular stood out, principally for its incisive and highly articulate editorials and columnists. This lead to me permanently switching to the Indy around last September (the way it handled the Brass Eye furore compared to The Guardian’s woeful dithering on the matter finally “converted” me). It’s improved noticeably even in the short space I’ve been reading it, especially in its news coverage, and feels “fresh” in a way other papers, good as they are, do not. (Excluding the post-9/11 Mirror, with its trumpeted rediscovery of a “serious” news agenda). I also read it’s Sunday incarnation, though this is noticeably more biased towards the editorial stance in its coverage.
I do read through the others sporadically, and of course, they all have their advantages and disadvantages. There is only one I truly revile, the utterly reprehensible Daily Mail.
The paper achieves its impressive circulation largely through unashamed populism, which largely constitutes to pandering to any and every irrational and damaging prejudice it thinks will benefit its sales figures. While I may disagree wholeheartedly with The Telegraph’s editorial views I can respect its news, sports and arts reporting, which are sometimes so opposed to the attitudes of its leaders they could almost belong to a different paper. The Daily Mail makes no such distinction, it’s news coverage being thoroughly twisted, sensationalised and distorted to support its decidedly dubious editorial line. It has no regard whatsoever for those who it considers in the interest of increasing its circulation to destroy, the latest example being its concerted efforts to wreck the carear of Met Police Commander Brian Paddick through a sordid “kiss and tell” interview with his ex-partner. Ostensibly it’s for smoking cannabis, but a nasty undercurrent of vindictive homophobia is barely concealed behind it all.
So on the whole, an absolutely delightful publication.
(Edited by Byron 27/03/2002 21:02)
I do read through the others sporadically, and of course, they all have their advantages and disadvantages. There is only one I truly revile, the utterly reprehensible Daily Mail.
The paper achieves its impressive circulation largely through unashamed populism, which largely constitutes to pandering to any and every irrational and damaging prejudice it thinks will benefit its sales figures. While I may disagree wholeheartedly with The Telegraph’s editorial views I can respect its news, sports and arts reporting, which are sometimes so opposed to the attitudes of its leaders they could almost belong to a different paper. The Daily Mail makes no such distinction, it’s news coverage being thoroughly twisted, sensationalised and distorted to support its decidedly dubious editorial line. It has no regard whatsoever for those who it considers in the interest of increasing its circulation to destroy, the latest example being its concerted efforts to wreck the carear of Met Police Commander Brian Paddick through a sordid “kiss and tell” interview with his ex-partner. Ostensibly it’s for smoking cannabis, but a nasty undercurrent of vindictive homophobia is barely concealed behind it all.
So on the whole, an absolutely delightful publication.
(Edited by Byron 27/03/2002 21:02)
Posted: 20:41 Mar 27 2002 
For goodness' sake man, you don't actually use The Sun for T&A - if that's your thing, that's what all the top-shelf service is for you know!
by Maffrew
I'm sure there are people on here with the opinion that anything less than The Observer or The Independant is not a good newspaper and that all other papers are for the lowest common denominator but if that's the case, then colour me lowest common denominator and give me some T&A!
(Edited by Byron 27/03/2002 21:30)
Posted: 21:15 Mar 27 2002
I very rarely read a print newspaper these days, and i rarely catch the news on tv. I tend to glean whats going on from reading on the net (the beeb, the guardian and the indy mainly, with a few american sites and scientific ones for good measure).
I know i am very guilty of skimming and only looking at the same kinds of articles when i do this. On the odd occasions i actually buy a paper i try to read the majority of it, and realise how much i don't really keep up with whats going on.
As some people have already referred to, the only paper i find actually annoying is the Mail. My parents got it for a while, and its coverage of anything to do with homosexuality was such that it made me want to punch someone. I shouldnt take these things personally, but find it difficult not to.
I know i am very guilty of skimming and only looking at the same kinds of articles when i do this. On the odd occasions i actually buy a paper i try to read the majority of it, and realise how much i don't really keep up with whats going on.
As some people have already referred to, the only paper i find actually annoying is the Mail. My parents got it for a while, and its coverage of anything to do with homosexuality was such that it made me want to punch someone. I shouldnt take these things personally, but find it difficult not to.
Posted: 22:04 Mar 27 2002
lol @ Byrons rather accurate last post. If you want porn, 'The Sun' really isn't the place to look...
We get the Guardian delivered every day. I'm well aware of its flaws (thank you Byron) but, well, I like the format, I like the fact that they're prepared to offer space for alternate views (moreso than any other national I've come across) and I like the Quick Crossword.
I occasionally buy the Independent, and I read other papers if I happen to come across them on the train or something, but to be honest, I prefer the Guardian not just for its 'spin' on things, but because I find it better in most other respects too.
We get the Guardian delivered every day. I'm well aware of its flaws (thank you Byron
) but, well, I like the format, I like the fact that they're prepared to offer space for alternate views (moreso than any other national I've come across) and I like the Quick Crossword. I occasionally buy the Independent, and I read other papers if I happen to come across them on the train or something, but to be honest, I prefer the Guardian not just for its 'spin' on things, but because I find it better in most other respects too.
Posted: 23:14 Mar 27 2002 This is true, but so does any news source. The trick is working out what that agenda is, and filtering everything they say through it...
by Sweet-Sange
I tend to not read newspapers, they all have their own agender and will report each story to suit that agender.
Posted: 23:17 Mar 27 2002 Q: Yellard decides to take The Sun move upmarket - what does he do? A: Starts selling it in brown paper bags.
by In a State of Dan
lol @ Byrons rather accurate last post. If you want porn, 'The Sun' really isn't the place to look...
We get the Guardian delivered every day. I'm well aware of its flaws (thank you Byron
The Guardian's letters page is always entertaining, and the fact opposing views are regularly published is certainly true. However, it's the substance of the columns, whatever their viewpoints, I often dislike - the columnists just don't apply truly original and incisive ideas to most issues (there are of course notable exceptions), and back them up with logical and articulate reasoning.
Which is where I've found the Indy to differ - columists like Debora Orr, Yasmin-Alibi Brown, the priceless Mark Sheen (formerly of The Guardian, until they disposed of him for being too Socialist ... sorry, "not funny enough"
) and Philip Henshaw are continually open minded, quite unpredictable and impressively cohesive with their arguments. I may frequently disagree, but they've caused me to reapraise and examine my views on a whole range of difficult subjects. (Edited by Byron 28/03/2002 00:02)
Posted: 00:00 Mar 28 2002 
I forgot, you get all the news you really need in The Sun for less than half the price of other papers.
Posted: 13:32 Mar 28 2002
At the pub we get the Guardian/Observer, the Times and the Telegraph every day for customers (and us) to read. Most of the week I don't even have the time to skim through one of them, although when I was revising for exams I tried to read the business pages every day.
At the weekend, we tend to pinch the Guardian/Observer because that's what I've always read. I tend to find, though, that I read the food pages and skim the rest of the paper in less time than it takes my other half to read the sports section I get most of my news from Radio 4 which is always on somewhere in our house, although I will occasionally look at one of the papers if I want more detail on a story that interests me. Then again, I might just look it up on the Net.
At the weekend, we tend to pinch the Guardian/Observer because that's what I've always read. I tend to find, though, that I read the food pages and skim the rest of the paper in less time than it takes my other half to read the sports section
I get most of my news from Radio 4 which is always on somewhere in our house, although I will occasionally look at one of the papers if I want more detail on a story that interests me. Then again, I might just look it up on the Net.
Posted: 13:38 Mar 28 2002 No, you get all the news you really need in The Sun...
by Ethan
I forgot, you get all the news you really need in The Sun for less than half the price of other papers.
Posted: 14:22 Mar 28 2002
I tend to buy the Express to read during my lunch hour. Can't be that bad 'cause everyone else borrows it!
I do recall an exercise when I was at school (I'll admit that it was about 20 years ago) where my English teacher analysed two newspaper segments and using some sort of calculation (I can't remember what) was able to demonstrate the complexity of the English used.
The most complex excerpt came from The Sun! - well wouldn't you know... The other was from one of the broadsheets and used a much simpler use of the language.
(Edited by gobstopper 28/03/2002 22:14)
I do recall an exercise when I was at school (I'll admit that it was about 20 years ago) where my English teacher analysed two newspaper segments and using some sort of calculation (I can't remember what) was able to demonstrate the complexity of the English used.
The most complex excerpt came from The Sun! - well wouldn't you know...
The other was from one of the broadsheets and used a much simpler use of the language.(Edited by gobstopper 28/03/2002 22:14)
Posted: 22:14 Mar 28 2002
I read the sun for its in depth political views and top sport and the telegraph for the naked woman on page 3 , oh hang on have i got that right ??????:and as for politics who cares give me sport and a naked woman, throw in striker and im a happy gooner
long live the sun
long live the sun
Posted: 22:25 Mar 28 2002 I think I've found my soul mate
by Gooner
I read the sun for its in depth political views and top sport and the telegraph for the naked woman on page 3 , oh hang on have i got that right ??????:and as for politics who cares give me sport and a naked woman, throw in striker and im a happy gooner
Posted: 22:30 Mar 28 2002 Who says Sun readers aren't destined to inherit the earth?
by Gooner
I read the sun for its in depth political views and top sport and the telegraph for the naked woman on page 3 , oh hang on have i got that right ??????:and as for politics who cares give me sport and a naked woman, throw in striker and im a happy gooner
Posted: 00:52 Mar 29 2002
First off I rarely read the 'papers, and find Radio 4, BBC News and C4 News the best source for regular news.
I do, on occasion, like to read the Saturday Guardian (usually on a Sunday...), especially if I've been lucky enough to have been out of the country for a while. While it can, at times, annoy the .. out of me with self-righteous pontificating, it is the nearest paper I know of to having a similar worldview as my own, and therefore concentrates on the subjects that interest me, and usually in an intelligent and well-rounded manner. For the same reasons I'm also quite partial to the Independent, although I have a pathological and quite irrational hatred of the Observer. Possibly because their sport section has always hated Leeds United and never cuts them any slack, however good they play. This was also the case a few years back when it was (briefly) almost trendy to like Leeds as a second team, and long before the current mass hysteria around my team. It also strikes me as taking the Guardian's occasional tendency towards a bloated sense of self-worth, and making it its core-value and a weekly experience.
I have (grudging) respect for The Times and The Torygraph, as they genuinely seem to wish to report the news, just from a different value system than the one I hold. I find the Torygraph in particular to be elitist and homophobic.
The rest, in my less than humble one, have nothing to do with the reporting of news. The Mail, as others have said, is particularly reprehensible. I particularly remember its coverage of Chris Morris' Paedophile episode, and especially the front-page story on the illicit trading of video copies of the program amongst sex offenders in prison. The story was particularly laughable (if it wasn't for the fact that people believed it) as a) there were less children in the program than your average episode of Corry and b) There aren't VCRs in prison for the videos to be played on... The Mail is exactly the reason why Chris Morris, and Brass Eye in particular, is essential to my sanity.
The red tops have about as much to do with the news as do Hello, Heat and Razzle. Yes, I will read them for the football coverage, but lets be straight on this - this is not news, its gossip. I get out of their coverage of sport what everyone else gets out the rest - amusement as they gossip that so-and-so is going to this-or-that club. Or who's fallen out with who. It's all titillating rubbish and barely deserves the association with Journalism. If they're journalists then so are the writers in Viz.
I also wish to reserve particular vitriol for The News of the World, as another news no-go-zone, its chequebook journalism, and continued invasion of people’s private lives. By buying that rubbish you are encouraging the degradation of other people’s human rights. Stop it now.
Finally, the locals. Can't be bothered with them, as all the ones I've seen are just way too parochial, due to their very nature. However, I do sometimes miss the Yorkshire Evening Posts biased coverage of Leeds United...
I do, on occasion, like to read the Saturday Guardian (usually on a Sunday...), especially if I've been lucky enough to have been out of the country for a while. While it can, at times, annoy the .. out of me with self-righteous pontificating, it is the nearest paper I know of to having a similar worldview as my own, and therefore concentrates on the subjects that interest me, and usually in an intelligent and well-rounded manner. For the same reasons I'm also quite partial to the Independent, although I have a pathological and quite irrational hatred of the Observer. Possibly because their sport section has always hated Leeds United and never cuts them any slack, however good they play. This was also the case a few years back when it was (briefly) almost trendy to like Leeds as a second team, and long before the current mass hysteria around my team. It also strikes me as taking the Guardian's occasional tendency towards a bloated sense of self-worth, and making it its core-value and a weekly experience.
I have (grudging) respect for The Times and The Torygraph, as they genuinely seem to wish to report the news, just from a different value system than the one I hold. I find the Torygraph in particular to be elitist and homophobic.
The rest, in my less than humble one, have nothing to do with the reporting of news. The Mail, as others have said, is particularly reprehensible. I particularly remember its coverage of Chris Morris' Paedophile episode, and especially the front-page story on the illicit trading of video copies of the program amongst sex offenders in prison. The story was particularly laughable (if it wasn't for the fact that people believed it) as a) there were less children in the program than your average episode of Corry and b) There aren't VCRs in prison for the videos to be played on... The Mail is exactly the reason why Chris Morris, and Brass Eye in particular, is essential to my sanity.
The red tops have about as much to do with the news as do Hello, Heat and Razzle. Yes, I will read them for the football coverage, but lets be straight on this - this is not news, its gossip. I get out of their coverage of sport what everyone else gets out the rest - amusement as they gossip that so-and-so is going to this-or-that club. Or who's fallen out with who. It's all titillating rubbish and barely deserves the association with Journalism. If they're journalists then so are the writers in Viz.
I also wish to reserve particular vitriol for The News of the World, as another news no-go-zone, its chequebook journalism, and continued invasion of people’s private lives. By buying that rubbish you are encouraging the degradation of other people’s human rights. Stop it now.
Finally, the locals. Can't be bothered with them, as all the ones I've seen are just way too parochial, due to their very nature. However, I do sometimes miss the Yorkshire Evening Posts biased coverage of Leeds United...
Posted: 08:55 Mar 29 2002
Hmmm, I kinda object to being told by buying The News Of The World I am degrading other people's human rights. What tosh! I shall read what I like, just like you will. Are you not infringing upon my human rights by telling *me* what to do about reading such a paper.
Maybe you'd like to cross reference my reply here with the one I posted in the 'Snob' thread.
Maybe you'd like to cross reference my reply here with the one I posted in the 'Snob' thread.
Posted: 17:26 Mar 29 2002