The British Press

Former Member · January 2002

Is it just me, or has the press become a complete disgrace. They take any story and twist it, with no sense of respect or decency to suit their pathetic front page headlines. Even in situations like the Paddington rail crash the Sun (which has to be the worst of the lot) completely exagerated everything to make a better selling story. If memory serves me correctly, 38 people died. Their head line said 150 died.

I think there should be some kind of regulation set in. So that maybe once in a while they actually put some news in their pathetic publication. They aren't all so bad, the independant has some decency, maybe even the telegraph (torygraph <IMG alt="image" SRC="tongue.gif" border="0">), but things like the sun and star should be closed down.

Thats my rant. <IMG alt="image" SRC="smile.gif" border="0">

Former Member · January 2002

I compltely agree. But they work on the basis of the old adage "No news is good news".
I think they would be respected more if the information was exactly that, information. I don't want drama when I read a paper, I want facts. I don't want speculation, I want evidence.
As for the sun and the star. They are just drivel.

Former Member · January 2002

Yup, I absolutely despise the UK press. Theyve lost all sense of objective reporting and just do whatever will sell their papers.

They are close to being as bad as the American media. They are either cheap rags which sensationalise everything such as the Sun/NOTW etc or they are just an extension of a certain political parties newsletter. Its a disgrace.

Having said that I dont think they should be regulated. Very dangerous ground there.
I do think that people should demand things of their papers and get them to change that way. Unfortunately people will never do that, they want their page3 girls, they want to hear the latest football being shagged by various people, they wannna hear all the shitty gossip etc.

Former Member · January 2002

I have found that the only way to get a comprehensive picture of the news is to read papers from each politial spectrum, usually done with the Mail and Express, purely becasue I cant read a broadsheet on a bus.

More recently these two papers (which used to give a more rounded view of the world) have begun folling in the sensationalist footsteps of the rest of the tabloids, and the Express seems to have shifted even futher to the left, and the mail to the right. Thank God I get a free independant at the gym.

Former Member · January 2002

The problem with the mail is that it will turn any story to page two if something, no matter how small, comes up involving the royals. The telegraph is with the tories, and the times likes to kiss blairs butt.

Ok, maybe not regulation... I'm jus amazed so many people would buy the sun!

And, before it happens, this is not a thread about war, guns or sheep. <IMG alt="image" SRC="tongue.gif" border="0">

Former Member · January 2002

How can you not want to read The Sun, it is informative as well as entertaining. OK so it is writen for the illiterate masses, but breasts upon opening the first page wins it for me.

Former Member · January 2002

The Problem with the British media is that several celebs, espec. ex-Spice girls use it to sell their albums for them- Victoria Beckham's recent attack on Tamzin Outhwaite just happens to be when her new album is about to come out- surprise surprise.

[ 14-01-2002: Message edited by: Agrofrog ]

Former Member · January 2002

Originally posted by Mindless all the way:


And, before it happens, this is not a thread about war, guns or sheep. <IMG alt="image" SRC="tongue.gif" border="0">

Damn... <IMG alt="image" SRC="rolleyes.gif" border="0">

Former Member · January 2002

Alas the press exist to make money and not neccessarily to inform people. The very fact so many newspapers can survive expressive such divergent views basically shows how people choose the newspaper they read in order to hear what they want (and how the editors write what they want to write) and no-one it reporting the real story. Certainly doesn't mean I defend the twisting of the facts we see in the press. I find, as has been said, the only way to get a real picture of the news is to read different papers or newsfeeds on the same article. I find Guardian, BBC, Reuters and Times gives quite a good balance.

Former Member · January 2002

Originally posted by Concentric Circles:
papers from each politial spectrum, usually done with the Mail and Express, purely becasue I cant read a broadsheet on a bus.

Um, yeah, 'cos neither of these papers tend to over-sensationalise gossipy articles do they? <IMG alt="image" SRC="tongue.gif" border="0"> <IMG alt="image" SRC="wink.gif" border="0">

I agree with Mindless, Whowhere and Balddog, because I dispair at the British press at times. Facts seem to be irrelevant in most stories. It seems much more important to express opinions over major stories rather than to simply explain what is going on. And this seems to me to be extrememly dangerous when the popular press can tell, say, one million people in this country what is right and what is wrong just by writing a single article. What ever happened to the individual's right to make up their own mind?

And the Independent? Don't make me laugh. It couldn't be more left wing if it tried.

Former Member · January 2002

Originally posted by Kentish:

And the Independent? Don't make me laugh. It couldn't be more left wing if it tried.

Yea, its very left wing, but the fact is when reading any paper you have to try and ignore its own political standpoint, and sieve out the facts, and the indepedant general comes out better than others if you do so. Saying that, I am tended towards the left. <IMG alt="image" SRC="tongue.gif" border="0">

TV news is also getting more and more unbearable. Such blatently biased reporting on any of the channels is getting worse, and they are reporting more and more things which just are not news. I shall return with examples after watching the news at some point.

Former Member · January 2002

Originally posted by Mindless all the way:
Yea, its very left wing, but the fact is when reading any paper you have to try and ignore its own political standpoint, and sieve out the facts, and the indepedant general comes out better than others if you do so. Saying that, I am tended towards the left. <IMG alt="image" SRC="tongue.gif" border="0">

Well, I don't like the Independent. I get most of my news online nowadays because I can't really get a paper everyday, and I find the Guardian and BBC websites are pretty comprehensive.

I take no notice of political persuasion when I read the articles, but sometimes it's so subtle that it is difficult to realise the slant they put on the story. None of the papers is truly 'independent' so our news will always be biased one way or the other.

Former Member · January 2002

Gad, our papers are copying your papers approach to news!

Try this:

Read the papers printed by the 'group' which you most veneminently oppose...you'll find it easer to filter the truth out than in your own papers.

Takes a bit of work to get the knack of it...not for the intelectually lazy!

Diesel

88888888 <IMG alt="image" SRC="eek.gif" border="0">

Former Member · January 2002

the times is read by people who rule the country
the telegraph is read by people who want to rule the country
the mail is read by people who rule the countries wives
and
the sun is read by people who dont care as long as they see big tits
<IMG alt="image" SRC="biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG alt="image" SRC="biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG alt="image" SRC="biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG alt="image" SRC="biggrin.gif" border="0">
i think thats the right way round

Former Member · January 2002

Having been behind the scenes at the F.T... I can safely say that whilst a little dry, it's usually pretty objective. Other than that, the guardian is excellent... especially if you're a dissolusioned civil servant!

Former Member · January 2002

Originally posted by go_away:
the times is read by people who rule the country
the telegraph is read by people who want to rule the country
the mail is read by people who rule the countries wives
and
the sun is read by people who dont care as long as they see big tits
<IMG alt="image" SRC="biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG alt="image" SRC="biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG alt="image" SRC="biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG alt="image" SRC="biggrin.gif" border="0">
i think thats the right way round

Nearly. The Daily Mail is (allegedly <IMG alt="image" SRC="wink.gif" border="0"> ) read by the wives of those run the country.

Former Member · January 2002

I read the mail and the guardian..Between the two of them I can usually get the facts..

I also read a lot of net news sites.

Former Member · January 2002

Calm down Baldy, I don't think anyone is suggesting you are ill-informed <IMG alt="image" SRC="wink.gif" border="0">

I also read the Mail regularly, and it is entertaining, but I get annoyed by certain columnists who voice extreme right wing views on certain issues.

I like the Guardian because their website is good, but I have to agree about the Financial Times. It's boring as hell, but does tend to concentrate on the facts.

Former Member · January 2002

Originally posted by Mindless all the way:


TV news is also getting more and more unbearable. Such blatently biased reporting on any of the channels is getting worse, and they are reporting more and more things which just are not news. I shall return with examples after watching the news at some point.

I know what you mean. Reports along the lines of Tescos today became Britians most popular supermarket, taking over Asda as the market leader. I mean who cares!

Former Member · January 2002

Originally posted by Dan the Man:


I know what you mean. Reports along the lines of Tescos today became Britians most popular supermarket, taking over Asda as the market leader. I mean who cares!

Hmm.... I could use that today in my economics and business lesson... waste a good 10 minutes of class time.
But thats the sort of thing. Obviously, that is going to be interesting to economists everywhere, but there is even worse stuff.

Unfortuantly I haven't gotten round to watching the news yet. Is anything interesting happeneing in the world?
Any superstars who have gained a pound or two? Any footballers who have shagged anyone new?

Former Member · January 2002

Originally posted by Kentish:


I agree with Mindless, Whowhere and Balddog, because I dispair at the British press at times. Facts seem to be irrelevant in most stories. It seems much more important to express opinions over major stories rather than to simply explain what is going on. And this seems to me to be extrememly dangerous when the popular press can tell, say, one million people in this country what is right and what is wrong just by writing a single article. What ever happened to the individual's right to make up their own mind?

I could not aggree more - I would love to see a paper that tells me news, with FACTS, rather then statistics used to prove a political point and biased edatorials.

And the Independent? Don't make me laugh. It couldn't be more left wing if it tried.
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Im sufficiantly right wing that I can look through the Blairite/New Labour tosh and pull out sone decent facts which it seem to be able to sometimes provide, it gives me a good laugh on the exercise bike too.

The British Press

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