Fierce_LiNk Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Alright, I've thought about creating this thread for a while now, but I just felt that now was the perfect time to do it. What is your opinion on the subject of the British Media at this moment in time? Particularly, newspapers. Now, due to my placement school being in East Worthing, and me living in Brighton, I was required to travel on a train five days-a-week, in order to get to the school. Regularly, I'd read the Metro, which is a free-newspaper which is supplied on trains. However, a lot of people would pick up a copy of The Times, and leave it on the tables or on seats, especially during the aftenoons. So, I picked up this paper once or twice and had a read. I must admit, I found it so frustrating to read. The first ten or so pages were just...scaremongering. That's the only word for it. So much is directed at the credit crunch, and a lot of it is just pointing the finger at someone, rather than looking at ways to address it. Now, many of you are probably familiar with the Jonathan Ross situation at the moment, and the recent "scandal" he's found himself in. Well, walking past a shop on the way to get my haircut, and so many front-pages are dedicated to this. Is this really news-worthy? I don't know, I just find myself feeling infuriated at the media at the moment. Is this down to the British way of just...well...criticising everything, or our infatuation with celebrities? What is your opinion on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slaggis Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Great thread, Flinky. Though, I can see this developing into a "OMG THE DAILY MAIL SUCKS" thread, rather than actually being filled with intelligent discussion. But still, I have to mention it. That front page scares the hell out of me. There's just so many things wrong with printing a cover like that. The "And countless we don't know about" is ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipaul Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Daily Mail, Express and The Sun can all be represented quite well by this one video of the Express i think: The Guardian is the best newspaper as far as I'm concerned, but then I'm left wing so I would say that =P XD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paj! Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 The Metro is the only decent read at the moment, newspaper wise. I get msot news off TV (impartial) or the net (can be partial, depending what the source)...can't be arsed with partisan reporting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chairdriver Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 The fact we get lots of immigrants signifies we are a successful country, so I don't get what their problem is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daft Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 The media is filth. The public en mass are stupid and easily lead. The worst offender at the moment being the BBC's coverage on Gaza. Neutral my arse. http://www.adbusters.org/features/eyeless_in_Gaza.html The Metro, London Lit and Paper and ALL those free papers are just a way to desensetise people to things that really matter in the world. They are unforgivable trash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 XD That video sums it up perfectly. My favourite moment from Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister. I personally can't believe anyone would actually buy a tabloid paper other than for the comedy value. My friend bought it a few days ago because there was an article about his dad in it (his dad presents Sportscene in Scotland); the front page article had a "quote" from Neil Lennon saying he was "never going to walk along in Glasgow" again. He just so obviously didn't say that. I like to read a different paper each day to get a different view point on things. The Telegraph is good as it agrees with most of my political viewpoints, the Guardian to get an opposing view and The Independent because it seems to get right to the point. I also have a subscription to TIME magazine which I think is absolutely fantastic. Wish I had more time to read it over the week as I regularly only read a few articles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipaul Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 That video sums it up perfectly. My favourite moment from Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister. I personally can't believe anyone would actually buy a tabloid paper other than for the comedy value. My friend bought it a few days ago because there was an article about his dad in it (his dad presents Sportscene in Scotland); the front page article had a "quote" from Neil Lennon saying he was "never going to walk along in Glasgow" again. He just so obviously didn't say that. I like to read a different paper each day to get a different view point on things. The Telegraph is good as it agrees with most of my political viewpoints, the Guardian to get an opposing view and The Independent because it seems to get right to the point. I also have a subscription to TIME magazine which I think is absolutely fantastic. Wish I had more time to read it over the week as I regularly only read a few articles. =O I didn't know you were evil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReZourceman Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 I don't read newspapers, they're boring and are for old people. lol Great thread, Flinky. Though, I can see this developing into a "OMG THE DAILY MAIL SUCKS" thread, rather than actually being filled with intelligent discussion. But still, I have to mention it. That front page scares the hell out of me. There's just so many things wrong with printing a cover like that. The "And countless we don't know about" is ridiculous. Yeah that is a fucking staggering cover....wow...just...everything about it makes me angry. (And want to punch the family on the right) Now, due to my placement school being in East Worthing Oh really? Papa ReZ lives in Worthing. Now, many of you are probably familiar with the Jonathan Ross situation at the moment, and the recent "scandal" he's found himself in. Don't get me started on that mess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinist Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 I usualy read any paper i can get my hands on. Most of the time its the scottish sun, the news of the world or the daily star. Also i've realised only half the paper contains news, the rest is full of ads for cars, sex lines and travel agents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaggle64 Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 It's not all bad, but there are sections of the media which are so full of absolute balls it's actually hard to credit. The "Sachsgate" affair which prompted a full scale assault on the BBC by the tabloids was simply ludicrous, drowning out all other coverage, even of the genocidal war in the DR Congo (which was apparently not even anywhere near as important). Even Andrew Sachs didn't really give a toss. I saw the editor of the Sun on the news the other day complaining that Jonathan Ross shouldn't be allowed back on TV - I wondered if he'd be happier about the whole thing if Jonathan Ross had massive tits. Take it away, Charlie: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slaggis Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 The media is filth. The public en mass are stupid and easily lead. The worst offender at the moment being the BBC's coverage on Gaza. Neutral my arse. http://www.adbusters.org/features/eyeless_in_Gaza.html I'm with you on that completely, I think it's completely ourageous that they think they can claim to be "neutral" and expect to get away with it. The BBC seem to be able to do no right, lately. They never seem to be able to decide what "side" to be on, with any issue. Contantly, there's complaints of the company being Homophobic because they've refused to uphold a fair few complains about things, and then they stand by their decision to screen the gay kiss on eastenders recently etc. I mean, for the love of God, make up you're mind. Indecisiveness, especially when concerning such an influential company like the BBC, really fucks me off. It's like, by being afraid to offend people, they're actually offending more people in the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipaul Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 After the whole debate over whether the BBC should broadcast an appeal (and then it didn't) found this and decided I should post it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The fish Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 The Telegraph is good as it agrees with most of my political viewpoints, the Guardian to get an opposing view and The Independent because it seems to get right to the point. I think about it in the same way, and read all 3 (+The Times), albeit in a different order - Indie is most like my views, Torygraph against, and Grauniad is kind of pro-me, and The Times is generally a good read. Private Eye is, however, the best paper - it's the fairest by far, as it's equally biased against everyone. :awesome: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daft Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 After the whole debate over whether the BBC should broadcast an appeal (and then it didn't) found this and decided I should post it. I love that man. He come to talk at SOAS every year (well, the past three years since I've been there). Legend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slaggis Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 After the whole debate over whether the BBC should broadcast an appeal (and then it didn't) found this and decided I should post it. That's brilliant, massive respect to Tony Benn for doing that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The fish Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 The worst offender at the moment being the BBC's coverage on Gaza. Neutral my arse. I wouldn't say that. Compared to the American/Arabic channels, they've been incredibly balanced. As for the appeal, shenanigans, the BBC has the right to not show it. The fallout for the decision has created much, much more exposure for the appeal than a showing of it on the BBC would have created, so I'm really not sure why people are so upset. The Beeb have said that part of the reason they chose not to show it is the rational that aid will end up in Hamas hands, as with humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe. The British media's lack of reporting on the DRC and Sri Lanka, by the way, was utterly inexcusable. Al Jazerra's coverage, on the other hand, was exemplary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daft Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 I wouldn't say that. Compared to the American/Arabic channels, they've been incredibly balanced. The American coverage of the events has been, predictably, atrocious. The BBC shouldn't be compared with it. In many ways what the BBC is doing is worse because it's a lot subtler either being tied into the language or ignoring/downplaying facts completely. http://fanonite.org/2006/11/30/bbc-waging-israels-propaganda-war-v/ As for the appeal, shenanigans, the BBC has the right to not show it. The fallout for the decision has created much, much more exposure for the appeal than a showing of it on the BBC would have created, so I'm really not sure why people are so upset. You're right but it's the principle. It's about trying to get aid to people who desperately need it. The British media's lack of reporting on the DRC and Sri Lanka, by the way, was utterly inexcusable. Al Jazerra's coverage, on the other hand, was exemplary. Agreed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 I think the Beeb made the right decision not to air the appeal. Oh noes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shino Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 That has to be bullshit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molly Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 XD Hahaha, love it. We get The Times every day, I read it occasionally. I think it's well written and not too biased. My favourite bit is the Jumbo crossword on a saturday though The News is fairly bullshit; recession this, scaremonger that. At least reading the paper I can choose different and interesting articles to pick out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReZourceman Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 That has to be bullshit. Pocket sudoku machines aren't that hard to produce these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipaul Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Pocket sudoku machines aren't that hard to produce these days. I knew it was coming but I still laughed : peace: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 That has to be bullshit. It is, it even says so on the top. "Daily Mail". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indigo Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 The press has been declining in quality for a number of years. The broadsheets have become near as sensational and obsessed with celebrity as tabloids, and reading the comment sections in the Times and the Guardian you realise just how detached these people are from most people's lives. The majority of columnists lead these isolated middle-class London lifestyles and they write as if everyone is just like them. Then there's the political comment which is generally so poor and simplistic that I rarely bother reading it. Expect quality to decline even further as the recession starts to hit the sales. The desire to expand readership and thus increase profit margins inevitably leads to the dumbing down of newspapers - just look at The Times and how far that has fallen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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