R2OK!

Clive55 · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 1336

It's that time of the year.

My award goes to the Daily Telegraph. Still keeping up a great quality of journalism, head and shoulders above the competition.
And they continue to bravely break important news stories- from the exposure of MPs Expenses scandal to Lib Dem-gate.

Worst Paper of the year is a toss up between the Daily Sport & The Guardian. And Michael White of the latter should be ashamed of himself for his campaign against the Daily Telegraph

undiscovered · Joined: 15 Sep 2010 Posts: 650 Location: Peterborough

Sorry Clive couldn't disagree more the Torygraph is one of the worse papers out there. 2010 has been a bad year for Newpapers, those that took sides as far as voting recomendations all lost.

The Torygraph are only breaking LDgate as they want the caolition to fail and the Tories go with a minority government.

I'm just greatful I live in a country where up to writing this post havin gthe BBC still influence what goes in the papers, if it wasn't for the BBC's existence then the phone tapping story would have been shelved.
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ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

There is nothing to choose between any of the appauling British press however upmarket they may give the impression of being

The press makes its money largely by inventing stories and peddling lies and what they don't know or are unable to find out they simply make up to suit their grubby agendas not caring in the least what damage they cause to peoples lives in the process

As far as I am concerned the only good journalist is a dead journalist and I do not buy any newspaper as I have no wish to finance their corrupt agendas
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ColinB · Guest

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

Colin, I am not using the term journalist in the very wide sense that you are talking about and certainly would not consider you or many other similar people like you to fall within the category I am describing

I am specifically talking about people who write for the national daily newspapers who regularly tend to apply the old adage of not letting the truth get in the way of a good story and that is true in my view of all newspapers ranging from the gutter Sun to the allegedly more upmarket Telegraph

Other people more loosely involved in writing are really more authors than journalists and are certainly not under the same pressures from editors to cut corners in order to get some alleged scoop usually by printing a distorted version of the facts or even outright lies and this happens because these newspapers realise full well that unless you are a big name with millions of pounds there is absolutely no chance of you being able to sue them whatever they write so effectively they have carte blanche to print anything they wish

Hopefully you can now see my point and I'm sorry if my original post caused you any offence as I can assure you this was not intended
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ColinB · Guest

I think your complaint should be directed more at newspaper proprietors and their editors rather than journalists in the collective sense.

I was flying back from Athens a year or so ago and was seated next to a freelance journalist who was working for the Daily Express. It was really interesting to hear what she had to say about the kind of pressures editors and sub-editors place on people like her. I never got her name but I have no doubt that she's a very good journalist - she had a deep sense of what's right and wrong, and convinced me of her commitment to unearthing the "truth". Unfortunately, like many others in her profession, she wasn't able to do her job properly due to her employer's agenda (he being Ricky Desmond - of which no more needs to be said). She told me that many of the journalists on the Express, as well as his other titles, absolutely hated Desmond and his cronies but that they just had to keep their heads down and do what they're told.

Let's not shoot the messenger, therefore, because without them we have no democracy.

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

I think you may well be right Colin

As I mentioned the problem is pressure from editors who in turn are under pressure from proprietors and its a very dog eat dog business
and in fainess there are some reasonable people on the front line

The problem is they are effectively just information gatherers and whilst they may want to publish the true angle on a story the item gets passed to a sub editor who then decides to alter or omit certain facts to suit whatever agenda they or the editor has or even in some cases the proprietor

What amazes me about the press is that someone will write an absolutely horrible and often defamatory article about a subject and then quite happily phone the person concerned a few days later for further information as if nothing had happened

I realise these people have a living to earn but of course nobody forces them to do the job and if I was in their position I would find alternate employment rather than be forced to write articles including facts which I knew to be made up or untrue
I guess its called having a moral conscience which most tabloid journalists seem to lack
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littlepieces · Joined: 10 Jan 2010 Posts: 1098 Location: Lowestoft

papers all have their own agenda's and the only paper i have bought this year is the Observer and that has been for something to do on a sunday.
Richard Desmond is awful as are his papers The daily mail in my eyes is just evil.The guardian is too far up itself for my liking though it does have the best sports section.And im sorry but the Torygraph as paper of the year? No thanks

I do read the papers online and just don't think there is one outstanding newspaper
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FleetingEileenM · Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 5767 Location: Hampshire

Clive55, I agree with you re the Telegraph. I think it's an excellent paper and as balanced politically as you are ever likely to get. The columnists are as ready to criticise the Tories as any other party. Matt's cartoons are brilliant and the crosswords are good too.

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

The Telegraph was OK when the Conservatives were in Opposition, because it reported all the things the Labour government would rather you didn't know.

However it does borrow or share far too many stories of the xenophobic kind with the Daily Mail.
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Cherskiy · Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 5:46 pm Post subject:

The only "paper" I read on a regular basis is "Private Eye".... even have a subscription!
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ColinB · Guest

Schizoidman · Joined: 20 Sep 2010 Posts: 1140 Location: Rural West Sussex

I too subscibe to Private Eye and have done so since 1975 (though I haven't been sent the current issue yet).
I think it's funnier now than ever before and better at unearthing political/financial scandal than ever before. Many newspaper 'scoops' originate in the Eye.

I believe it is 50 years old this year.

ColinB · Guest

I was a bit peeved when it was announced that some squirt called Ian Hislop was taking over Richard Ingrams' role at The Eye, but time has proved me wrong and I too think it's gone from strength to strength.

Schizoidman · Joined: 20 Sep 2010 Posts: 1140 Location: Rural West Sussex

I agree, though I have to say I find Hislop totally unfunny and out of place on Have I Got News For You. He's obviously more suited to the printed media.

ColinB · Guest

the breakfast club · Joined: 19 Sep 2010 Posts: 52 Location: Liverpool

my vote goes to the daily mirror which i get every day
sunday mirror is worth a mention as well

ColinB · Guest

Surely the "Newspaper of the Year, 2010" award must go to the Sport.

Rachel · Guest

I like the "I" paper .. the mini Independent... the 20p one.

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

My annual subscription to the Daily Telegraph runs out on Feb 22nd and I have been thinking about changing.

The discount I get means that the weekend editions are effectively free, except that is diluted by the newsagent's delivery charge, and I rarely have time at the weekend to read half of it - and more than half of it is advertising, women's fashion, millionaire property, and Bryony Gordon, who makes you want to throw bricks.

I think I've answered my own question.

(The weather reports and articles by Philip Eden are good though)
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