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Post by jno on Oct 18, 2016 9:39:43 GMT
 Are newspapers dead? Do we trust anything the printed in the press these days? Are they too politically biased? If so, let's remember this forum is strictly a politics-free zone, so please steer clear in your comments.Whatever we might read on here, we won't hold it against you. However, even if you were forced at gunpoint to buy ONE, which would you choose? What is your favourite UK daily newspaper? |
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Post by felixdeburgh on Oct 18, 2016 10:31:36 GMT
The Telegraph or The Times. For personal reasons I won't even handle The S*n, never mind read it.
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Post by ace5150 on Oct 18, 2016 12:16:48 GMT
I used to read Daily Mail for years as the sports section was great and a decent weekly TV guide at the weekend
Don't get the newspaper now, I read it all on line, it's updated regularly for free.
I liked Today before that went belly up. Same with The Independant.
In the Officers Mess, I tend to read The Times a day late. No tabloids in their mess, just Times, Guardian and Telegraph.
Mrs Ace 'reads' the Daily Mirror.......well the horoscope and the crossword.
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Post by jno on Oct 18, 2016 12:55:25 GMT
I really struggle with the UK press these days. They seem to be so hardcore in their opinions, I am really sick of the Daily Mail and the Express in the last few years and gave up on them a long while ago. I am NOT allowed to vote in the UK so my political interest is absolutely zero.
The only ones I find half OK are The Guardian, 'i' and the BBC News site. Anything Murdoch seems way too one sided for me. I also read the news in Austria too ( news.orf.at ) which is always great as you get a 'balanced opinion' on certain European issues from the other side of the channel.
Anything tabloid? No thanks.
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Post by ace5150 on Oct 18, 2016 13:51:49 GMT
The Mail is far too right wing for my liking, however, their sports coverage is the best out there.
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Post by daz on Oct 18, 2016 16:19:37 GMT
I'm very impressed the Morning Star is on the list above.  I would read The Gaurdian or The Independant, if it still existed, maybe the Herald at a push. As much as my politics are firmly entrenched in the left, I do prefer balance instead of one side preaching the virtures of their argument, something very difficult to find in our press. I gave up buying/reading newspapers around about 2010. |
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Post by jno on Oct 18, 2016 16:33:53 GMT
I'm very impressed the Morning Star is on the list above.  Celtic Brethren!  |
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Post by Arch Stanton on Oct 19, 2016 6:47:59 GMT
I would like to say The Daily Mail but I don't like how easy going and soft it is on immigrants, people who claim benefits and Jeremy Corbyn.. Plus there's just too many sections on women's health and sudoku. And a distinct lack of a page 3 and general T&A in that one! Plus the cinema pages on a Friday, are just reviews about kids' films for some reason!! So disgruntled, these days I don't bother with newspapers, and instead I just read the Rant On With Stanton thread, for all the latest hard line cutting edge current affairs topics. Magic 8 Ball says that I talk a load of old cobblers, and that the last time I bought a newspaper it was the 'i', around the time of Brexit, due to it's lesser political bias... ...But I swear down that that was only because I needed something cheap for Tonks to clean my jackboots on, without him having to get boot polish all over his bed again. I miss the politics thread  I so wish it would come back. I like talking politics. Apart from picking holes in religion, it's my bestest subject. |
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Post by ltd on Oct 19, 2016 6:48:54 GMT
Torygraph for me - I think the reporting is generally good (e.g. the expenses scandal). Not so keen on the editorial line. The desk warrior bellicosity of Con Coughlin is particularly objectionable. He treats international affairs with the same level of sophistication as a drunk in a bar room brawl.
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Post by gustav on Oct 19, 2016 16:06:44 GMT
I used to buy the Times - despite its ownership - because it is, in my opinion, a quality paper with good coverage etc. However, I was so disgusted that after the final Hillsborough revelations they failed to put that news on their cover that I have finally given it up. It is between the Guardian and the Telegraph everyday for me and I do alternate between them. I don't like the political bias of either but they both have good points. At the moment the Telegraph just edges it for me so I voted for it. However, I am moving towards not buying a paper at all, there isn't really much point these days. Glad to see the Northern Ireland papers on the list. I tend not to buy any of them though either! The Newsletter and the Irish News are probably the most one sided of all the papers on your list with the possible exception of the Morning Star. They represent either side of the divide in NI. I don't really like either of them as papers. The Belfast Telegraph is closer to neutral but is very boring.
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Post by jno on Oct 19, 2016 17:34:40 GMT
Of course 'The Telegraph' (The Torygraph) is now a "PAYWALL" i.e. read a few then pay up for more. Boo, hiss!  However, here's a money-saving workaround tip from the jno school of naughty tricks if you see the pay up message ... If you get the link of the story, copy ( CTRL+C) the whole story URL then type cache: in your browser bar and then paste the link directly after Google gives you the story for free. What happens is shown below (BEFORE on left, AFTER on right), it's marvellously free, who would want to pay for this nonsense anyway?  There are probably better methods. |
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Post by gustav on Oct 19, 2016 17:52:30 GMT
Of course 'The Telegraph' (The Torygraph) is now a "PAYWALL" i.e. read a few then pay up for more. Boo, hiss! However, here's a money-saving workaround tip from the jno school of naughty tricks if you see the pay up message ... If you get the link of the story, copy ( CTRL+C) the whole story URL then type cache: in your browser bar and then paste the link directly after Google gives you the story for free. What happens is shown below (BEFORE on left, AFTER on right), it's marvellously free, who would want to pay for this nonsense anyway? There are probably better methods. That's very interesting indeed and helpful. I have to confess though that since the Guardian is completely free I usually look at that online |
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Post by jno on Oct 19, 2016 19:41:56 GMT
Re: The Guardian, me too. It is probably my favourite online paper. |
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Post by ltd on Oct 21, 2016 18:08:02 GMT
That's very interesting indeed and helpful. I have to confess though that since the Guardian is completely free I usually look at that online I haven't been bothered by the paywall prompt yet - possibly my ad blocker's stopping it from getting through? |
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Post by Portland Road on Oct 24, 2016 8:39:09 GMT
I used to buy a tabloid for short breaks at work (variously The Sun/Mirror, but mostly The Sun), a broadsheet to sit and read at home (again revolving between Times/Telegraph over the years), the local evening paper and a music weekly (again variously NME/Melody Maker).
The reason I revolved between different (albeit similar) papers is that at different times, one seemed to be better than the other. Or sometimes both would be worth buying (e.g. NME/MM during 'Britpop').
I had given the music weeklies up as long ago as 2000, after MM had merged into NME and the indie scene of the 90s had declined.
In the late-2000s I noticed The Sun getting naffer with increasing (non) celebrity gossip etc - indeed, it was leading up to the 'phone-hacking scandal' with certain well-known people having extraordinary personal intrusions. E.g. they did a daily feature called 'Winowatch' in which they followed Amy Winehouse around, photographing her under the influence leaving venues, getting into cars, on holiday etc. I do believe this did not do Amy's mental state any good at all and I think had an influence on her death.
I stopped reading tabloids in 2010. At which time I noticed the local paper declining into front page 'exclusives' about local drug & violent crime, and inside full of adverts and naff lifestyle features. All of it written by inexperienced young journalists.
I finally abandoned newspapers in 2011. I think the decline in newspapers can be seen in their letters pages. They were once very potent with interesting views on current topics. Currently they only attract retired people, or politicians and lobbyists with agendas. The rest of the readership has moved online. Which is where I read my news now, as well as hearing it on the radio.
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larchlapriley
On Wages
"Larchlap Riley is not a fence. He is an honest businessman" Arthur E Daley
Posts: 64 
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Post by larchlapriley on Oct 31, 2016 20:10:08 GMT
Got to be the Grauniad. Their columnist Hadley Freeman is the funniest American I can think of even though she mainly writes about fashion. She also writes the odd film review and knocked out a book called Life Moves Pretty Fast "the lessons we learned from 80s movies" which is a really good read. She doesn't take herself too seriously which is always a good thing in a journalist. As for the Daily Mail, I wouldn't wrap my chips in it.
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Post by chopper on May 23, 2017 11:35:08 GMT
Agreed-wouldn't put my cat litter tray on The Mail,Express or The Scum.
I like The Guardian,and agree about Hadley Freeman! Morning Star is a great left wing read,but even for a lefties like myself - perhaps too much sometimes
I'd sometimes buy a Mirror for a quick read & used to buy The Independent a lot years ago,but got a bit fed up with its sensationalistic front covers. The Independent on Sunday remained a regular read though
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