British Newspapers.

[afleitch]

I was mulling over this earlier.

'Good' papers gone bad.

The Mirror.

Napoleons favourite

Went down hill when it dropped the 'Daily' to become the Sun lite. Then it changed back just before its moral anti-Iraq war crusade (but still vote Labour innit) There was a time you felt a little bit 'cleaner' reading the Mirror, but now it's the same thickness and has the same substance (emphasis on 'thick') as a comic. I can flick through it in five minutes, count the number of times 'toff' is thrown in an article about the Tories (but not about Ed Balls), wince at Brian Reade pretending he's the first person to ever say something he's mentioned in his column and chuck it in the bin.

The Daily Express.

Great paper under Rosie Boycotts stewardship. It was a fairly liberal middle England paper and she respected its tradition. Then along comes 'Dirty' Desmond porn supremo and it becomes trash. In fact it becomes worse than the Mail. It becomes the Daily Diana, then the Daily Madeline (and the Daily Madeliana), has it's infamous 100 day run with 'MADELINE' on the front cover. Then when no one really cares about the McCanns and Al Fayed who used to feed the paper is made out to be a bit...well at the trial it drops them both. Writers seem never to leave their desks, celeb news is ripped straight from OK and they reuse stock photos rather than hire a bloody photographer.

The Independent.

A 'viewspaper' - Tony Blair

Patronising tripe. It..speaks..to U...very slowly..on...the front page, with pictures if need be. Don't you know theres a war on in Iraq? And people die!! Here are sime pictures photoshopped out of context and some statistics and stuff. Again another newspaper that was readable when Boycott edited it. Now gives away 'free sh-t' as the Mail Watch would call it, but not cars and thatched cottages but wine, or books on wine, or magazines on wine! If the Mirror is a comic, the Indy is a book with lift up flaps.

[afleitch]

But what about the others? I'd certainly like to read your take on the Guardian.

The Guardian is actually readable. There's alot of interesting stuff in there past the first few pages. The comments and letters page is awful but thats a political viewpoint really and 'Corrections and Clarifcations' is a joy It is also the voice of sanitised clerical fascist viewpoints which is disturbing. Its an easy target, but I've realised there is far worse out there (the Independent)

I choose to read the Times because it's politically mute. It's my 'morning' paper. Okay, you won't hear anything bad about Rupert or News International, and certain issues are..selective in reporting but it's probably the 'most hands' off Murdoch paper, more so since he's been distracted by New York.

I often buy the Mail just to see what the wingers are annoyed about and pick up either the Glasgow Herald or the Scotsman, for Scottish issues. I read alot of them not to be a smart ass, but because of the commute to work. Keeps you occupied

[afleitch]

The Daily Mirror has never really recovered from Maxwell. One problem has been that its various editors since the early '80's haven't really understood their readers and what they want in a newspaper.

Quality dovecot cage lining?

It's been wobbly since Labour got into power I imagine. It's sycophantically supportive (less so than the Record). As a government runs out of steam, its often forced enthusiasm is probably at odds with its readers. Ironically it's opposition to the Iraq War, the political equivalent of shooting Ol' Yeller was also probably at odds with it's readers, at least initially. It's political coverage has dwindled with more celebrity news but its a bit more approachable since Morgans departure.