what paper do you read and why ?

[stewart38]

Ok im coming 'out'

I’ve been a Daily Mail reader since the end of the ‘Today’ newspaper, early 90s?

The recent articles

“Fire officer wants a sticker of the English flag taken of the back of a fire engine” and the page given to that

The .."I’ve had 7 kids and been a surrogate for 5 more” and the page given to that

We have had the St Georges flag tie pin in prison saga and the page given to that

The latest is "Police told me off for saying crash motorist was fat” and a page for that

All of these with that bloody title "Political correctness gone mad"

30,000 criminals to be freed early

Cant see anything in todays paper about the Earthquake

Now even I can see some kind of theme here

I’m seriously considering changing my newspapers and that’s going to harder then changing banks or house!!

Any suggestions, don’t think id want to jump to the Times or back to the Sun and never liked the Daily Express

What do other people read and why ?

[El Salsero Gringo]

I don't think the Times is such a great leap; it comes from the same publisher as The Sun, and there's usually a picture of a pretty girl on page 3, or 5 or thereabouts, except she keeps her clothes on.

[Piglet]

I read my local Aberdeen evening newspaper The Evening Express and seldom buy any of the nationals these days -even on a Sunday. I find I don't have the time to catch up on the news in depth that much! Although I have seen me being tempted if there are any free CDs being given away...

So sorry Stewart I'm not much help for you I'm afraid.

[LMC]

The Metro comic - because it's there (free pickup from station). Lasts me for 10 minutes - 5-6 of that are the cartoons and puzzles. Unfortunately, Metro is part of the Daily Mail Group

Otherwise I don't buy a paper but keep up with their websites - mainly Guardian, Times and BBC News. I particularly like the Guardian Society section, although sometimes that truly is political correctness experiencing mental health difficulties. The Independent and Telegraph websites can be interesting because they are not so mainstream. I like looking at the same "news" from different angles - although the "spin" is sometimes scary and I don't know what to think

If I bought an actual paper it would probably be the Guardian - no big surprise there since I'm a left-wing liberal work-for-a-charity type. If you're switching from the Mail, then that might be going a bit too far - maybe worth looking at the Independent?

[David Bailey]

Now even I can see some kind of theme here

I use the BBC news site for daily stuff and the Economist for in-depth information (it's the best-written weekly news magazine in the country, in my view).

If you still want a daily newspaper, The Sun is better-written than the Mail - plus, it has better pictures

[doc martin]

Why bother with a newspaper at all? There are much better options over the internet these days. The printed papers cover many aspects of the news, even if they don't cover what would traditionally be considered news, as in your examples.

If you know what sort of thing you are interested in why not try a news portal such as http://www.newsnow.co.uk/?

You can set up feeds based on what you would like to hear about.

The only time I read a print paper these days is when I am going on the train when I pick up a metro.

the Economist for in-depth information (it's the best-written weekly news magazine in the country, in my view).

I used to subscribe to the Economist, but there is just too much stuff in it.... I seemed to take all week to read it

[TiggsTours]

The Metro, its free, so I don't really care too much if I don't get time to finish it, which I invariable don't.

[Lynn]

Belfast Telegraph, on Friday's, for the job section. (which reminds me, better pop out to the shop and get it.)

Not much help either.

[Chicklet]

Herald for proper news, crossword (both of them), daily Soduko fix and other people's houses on Wed.
Times on Sat and Sun for news, a TV guide and colour supps so I know where to get men's silk g-strings, garden overshoes and fab holiday tours.

[Minnie M]

I’ve been a Daily Mail reader since the end of the ‘Today’ newspaper, early 90s?

and it has the best TV guide on Saturday

[under par]

The Daily Telegraph for me. excellent crossword puzzle on back page and the BEST fantasy football game going.

I don't get it more than once or twice a week and have never got close to finishing the crossword but enjoy trying.

[ElaineB]

Due to lack of time, I very rarely get to read a paper, although I do try to get the Western Daily Press on a Saturday. Otherwise on holiday, I like to buy the papers that are local to were I am staying - I am a sucker for the one man and his dog stories!

Catch up with the news on the radio/television and the dear old BBC website - oh and here of course!


Elaine

[David Bailey]

Why bother with a newspaper at all? There are much better options over the internet these days.

Paper is still the best way to read in-depth information (says the man who advocated the Sun )

You can set up feeds based on what you would like to hear about.

Or, putting it another way, reinforce your own biases.

I prefer a paper with a bit of independence, that makes me think. I can get news from the BBC - for opinion and thought I go to a paper.

[doc martin]

Or, putting it another way, reinforce your own biases.

If you set it up to trawl news from everywhere about a subject, you should get the widest possible range of views. THEN you can select the bits that reinforce your biases.

I prefer a paper with a bit of independence, that makes me think. I can get news from the BBC - for opinion and thought I go to a paper.

So you're back to the Economist. IMO the least biased news coverage, or at least biased by it's economic viewpoint rather than political affiliations. It also gives you a longer perspective, not reading the news day by day as it happens, but reading more of an analysis and overview of the last weeks news.

[Clive Long]

I don't read a newspaper (regularly)

I don't have time.

Do I feel I should read a newspaper? Not sure.

Should I even keep up with "world events"? I feel I should but I can't tell you why. I know people who like to impress at dinner parties with their knowledge of events in countries I haven't even heard of. They are posturing and trying to create an impression they are informed and concerned.

I find it interesting (and I feel, for some reason, encouraging) that many of the respondants to this thread read local / regional papers .

I did vaguely think about reading The Economist - I'll go the the library (remember those?) and try a few back-issues.

There are a deluge of information sources and I'm not sure who I can "trust". Do I use a news source that just reflects and re-inforces my attitudes and prejudices rather than informs me? I don't know.

Which papers do I read if I am going on a train journey: Times, Independent.

I used to buy the Guardian but I feel I am being preached at when I read it.

I think the gutter tabloids: The Super Soaraway Sun and Mirror are rags that are efficient in exploiting very base attitudes in people. I believe The Mirror used to be a campaigning social justice paper in the 60's and 70's where John Pilger did great work. I find it deeply worrying that in their present incarnation they are the highest circulation "newspapers" in the UK. I believe this demonstrates I have little point of contact or communication with most of the people in this country.

I have occassionally dipped into the Mail and Express and I just find their view point xenophobic, smug and "unpleasant" on almost anything they write.

I have an irrational bias against the Telegraph. The name conjures up pictures of men my age, wearing tweed jackets, driving renovated British sports cars while they meet their family down the pub on a Sunday by the cricket green. Doesn't connect with any experience of Britain I have.

I subscribed to TimeOut (*) for 3 years and found it entertaining and the articles well written. That took up the time I had for any "journal" reading.

I feel I am not provided for by the news media - one could go on about filtering and viewpoint bias - but I never understood that stuff. Will newspapers or any news media always reflect the views, interests and prejudices of a few powerful people: Murdoch, Conrad Black, May-he-rot-in-hell-pension-thief Maxwell or powerful corporations like News International, Time Warner CNN and Fox?

So Stewart. Getting away from the Mail is a GOOD THING in my eyes. Maybe buy a couple of the Sunday papers (Times and Observer) (wouldn't The Economist be a bit narrow in it subject matter?) and work through them during the week to get the long view on events and online sources for the "up-to-the-minute" stuff.

A rather confused opinion, I'm afraid, Stewart.

Clive

(*) An events listing magazine for London, the majority of content reading like the telephone directory but with a few longer articles on "London Issues"

[ducasi]

I used to buy The Herald every day on my way to work, carry it there, carry it home, dump it on a table and throw it out at the end of the week. Occasionally I'd actually read it.

So I gave that up and started reading their web site in the morning before going to work... It's a shame it doesn't have the full contents though, and more than a day's navigable content. Oh, and no Saturday edition.

I'd be prepared to pay for a complete on-line version, with at least a week's back issues available to me.

Anyway, I read the Herald as it has local Glasgow and Scottish news, plus news from the rest of the world from a Scottish perspective. (Too many other news media (especially the BBC) seem to forget that what's going on in England may have zero relevance to Scotland and the other nations of the UK.) And it doesn't (normally) treat me like an idiot who has to be told what to think.

I also pick up a copy of the Metro most days to read its letters and cartoon/puzzle page. Occasionally I'll even read its news.

[Heather]

I don't buy or read newspapers but if there were to be an item of personal interest in the local press ( eg my class photo visiting / doing something ) I might splash out and buy a copy of The Courier or the Evening Telegraph.
I make a point of watching the news on TV in the evening. BBC news and Grampian news on ITV.
I like to encourage my class of 9/10 year olds to listen/ watch/ read the news as we regularly do an 'In the News' report every week. I usually go on the BBC website and print off interesting/ relevant news articles for them.
Rather than read a pile of biased crap I tend to watch programmes like Newsnight, Sunday AM, The Politics Show,Panorama and Question Time and This Week ( which you could argue are probably biased but I do like agood shout at the telly!! )


Heather,
XX

[doc martin]

I don't read a newspaper (regularly)

I don't have time.

I'm not surprised, what with writing such long, well thought out posts for this forum, I'm surprised you have time for dancing.

Do I feel I should read a newspaper? Not sure.

Should I even keep up with "world events"? I feel I should but I can't tell you why. I know people who like to impress at dinner parties with their knowledge of events in countries I haven't even heard of. They are posturing and trying to create an impression they are informed and concerned.

If you feel you should, then it is probably your curiosity about the world nagging you. And if other people have less lofty reasons for reading a newspaper that shouldn't influence you; you read what you want for the reasons that matter to you.

I did vaguely think about reading The Economist - I'll go the the library (remember those?) and try a few back-issues.

...<stuff about other papers>...

...(wouldn't The Economist be a bit narrow in it subject matter?)

Everything you say makes me think 'Economist reader'. Not that I'm trying to sell it or anything, just that your opinions of the other papers chime with my own, and the Economist is the paper that I have felt most at home with.

If you read the Economist you won't know anything about what is going on in Footballers Wives and page 3 is usually decidedly uninteresting, but they do cover the major world events in more depth than any other paper. And I emphasise world because there is less about the UK than any other paper (IMO). As you said, try it from the library and you might enjoy it, you might not but you've lost nothing apart from a little time to write more posts on the forum.

[Martin]

From a very young age I realised that "news" meant 'Bad News' as that is what sells.

So I do not bother.

I will not read papers or listen to the news on tele.

I am involved in an investment club and often people pick out news items (paper or tele) and ask the author where the sourse came from. Always sadly lacking.

[WittyBird]

I buy the local papers every week purely for the recruitment pages - R&D and any excuse to make sales calls really. But on a personal note I dont get the time occassionally I will buy the Sun purely for entertainment value and the horoscopes or on a weekend if i can get my sorry ass out of bed it will be the News of the world but its just for entertainment and comedy value more than anything else! Last time I bought a paper to read it was the Sunday Mail and I won £10k but thats another story