The British tabloid press - do you indulge?

JohnnyDee

JohnnyDee

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I have never bought any newspaper, let alone a tabloid, throughout my adult life. It comes as a result of may Dad telling me from a very young age:

"Believe nothing you see printed in a newspaper except for the date, and even then try and have its accuracy corroborated by an independent source".

The more I see and hear (in other media streams) the bile, rhetoric, tripe and partisan disinformation these rags peddle, then the more grateful I am that I heeded this piece of good parental advice.

I still don't get their relevance in the now 24 hour digitally available rolling-news age. Papers are invariably 12-24 hours behind the game and rely on salacious drivel in banner headlines to encourage their purchase.

When stopping at hotels and I am offered a complementary newspaper, I ask for either The Beano or Dandy. This normally puzzles the person behind the desk, sad I know, but it keeps me amused.

*Right, back off up to my ivory tower now to read some James Joyce and a bit of Proust* :whistle:
 
Always read the papers but always "read between the lines". Some of the antics that they have done in the past? Bugging phones was beneath contempt.
unfortunately for every good reporter of the news be it political or sport. There are 100 bad ones.
 
And, of course, everything on t'internet is gospel truth with no slant :confused:...


Tend to take my news from various sources including the printed press... Think I am more than able to form my own opinions this way... Might be at odds with others but that's the way of the world is it not... In fact, a quick read of any piece by Hitchens is a quick way of reinforceing the way I feel ;)...
 
Read the Saturday Guardian, as thats the only real time I get to read and have breakfast(like to read as I eat). It has the added beneift of coming with a sport supplement and 7 day tv guide:)
Wont read the red tops, or Murdoch stuff. Whilst I agree you have to filter out their slant, sometimes a slightly more in depth article or off the radar article is good to read.
The only other source of news I actively read is the BBC website.
 
Rubbish. I would never have known about Prince Phillip being involved in the plot to assassinate Princess Diana without the Daily Express and certainly would not have known about the terrible effect on house prices caused by Syrian immigrants without Katie Hopkins in the Daily Mail. Leave the tabloids alone ....


OK I'm talking nonsense - just like they do.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
JohnnyDee said:
I have never bought any newspaper, let alone a tabloid, throughout my adult life. It comes as a result of may Dad telling me from a very young age:

"Believe nothing you see printed in a newspaper except for the date, and even then try and have its accuracy corroborated by an independent source".

The more I see and hear (in other media streams) the bile, rhetoric, tripe and partisan disinformation these rags peddle, then the more grateful I am that I heeded this piece of good parental advice.

I still don't get their relevance in the now 24 hour digitally available rolling-news age. Papers are invariably 12-24 hours behind the game and rely on salacious drivel in banner headlines to encourage their purchase.

When stopping at hotels and I am offered a complementary newspaper, I ask for either The Beano or Dandy. This normally puzzles the person behind the desk, sad I know, but it keeps me amused.

*Right, back off up to my ivory tower now to read some James Joyce and a bit of Proust* :whistle:
Click to expand...

They are useful if you run out of toilet paper - especially the red top rags.

Think some publications should have been closed down years back because of their behaviour
 
I read several newspapers a day. Usually only read the first paragraph, and as it changes from the news item to an opinion I move on.
 
Is there such a thing as a 'British' tabloid press.

eg The English version of the Sun has a totally different political agenda to the Scottish one.
I assume tabloid editions in Wales/NI and 't'North are likewise.
 
Cant see how any newspaper is going to survive in paper format anyway, I buy the weekly local rag maybe 3 times a year, that's it.
Laptop or phone or tv is where I get or read my news.
Would never subscribe to a newspaper online either, there is just so much news choice online why would you?
 
Doon frae Troon said:
Is there such a thing as a 'British' tabloid press.

eg The English version of the Sun has a totally different political agenda to the Scottish one.
I assume tabloid editions in Wales/NI and 't'North are likewise.
Click to expand...

would imagine the Suns political agenda in Scotland is differant to the English version because the thoughts and financial interests of a certain Mr Murdoch are differant in both countries.
 
I stopped having one delivered when it's arrival became very hit and miss, i do miss reading it but felt i could usually seperate truth from fiction.
 
I rarely have the time to read a paper, certainly in print and haven't ready any paper cover to cover for years. I'll read the Telegraph sports section at the club, before or after a round but that's about it. I tend to get my news coverage from sky/BBC news on the mobile or from TV bulletins and even then take what's said with a pinch of salt
 
Read the Telegraph when I can, there are always some interesting political and non political stories. Letters to the Editor are always interesting.
 
I am proud to say that I have never bought a paper. The British press is utter tripe and given far more credit than it is due. I still find it difficult to believe BBC and Sky News preview the papers every night and that anyone cares what the papers are printing. A complete waste of good trees IMO.
I do keep up to date on current affairs as I watch a lot of TV news channels, but even these have become more "magazine" type productions and are more and more opinionated. I would much prefer it if someone just gave me the facts and let me make up my own mind. I think it's something to do with me being an adult and capable of forming my own opinions.
 
Everyone loves a sneaky peek at these things, just to satisfy our curiosity.

It's human nature, just like "click bait", to take a peek. The headlines are written to take advantage of this.

The masters of clickbait headlines are those "take a break" style mags.
 
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