UK Newspapers (and other newsmedia)

I've asked my husband this so many times, but I can never remember the answer, and I don't have the nerve to ask him again, he he. I'm hoping some of you experienced with the press can give me a breakdown of which papers (or news networks, etc.) are slanted toward which political interests, and which is the least biased source?

Interestingly, not being a fan of the Beeb (BBC), I read an older article today somewhere, mentioning a long standing rift between the Telegraph, who have discontinued their beebwatch editorial for whatever reason. For those who'd like to know what the newspapers agenda's are and make a more informed choice when they're standing at the newstand deciding between the Indendent and the one with the Page 3 girls.

Which UK papers do you regularly read? We don't really read any, no time, though I'd love to. Hubby reads teletext news and newspaper websites. Mostly for sport news anyway.

 Well I have to admit that I read "The Daily Mail" while living in London.I became so hooked on it that I started having it delivered to our home   It was the only newspaper that I read though.
We did watch the BEEP and Sky news also.

I plan on going back to my habits again too, as far as the newspaper bit LOL.

Rhia

There used to be a jokey declension that went as follows:

The Times: is read by the people who run the country.

The Telegraph: is read by the people who think they ought to run the country.

The Mail: is read by the wives of the people who think they ought to run the country.

The Guardian: is read by the people who ought to run the country.

The Morning Star: is read by the people who think the country ought to be run by another country (note: this declension dates to before the demise of the USSR!)

The Sun: is read by people who don't mind who runs the country, provided they've got big boobs.

This all dates back to times before the founding of the Independent.  So I am not sure how the Independent ought to be declined, and am not myself a frequent reader of that organ.  IMHO: "The Independent: is read by people who like to read the opinion of two (max.) journalists"  But Independent readers (and others!) might like to add their own twist here!

Howard.

PS.  Don't forget the 'Sundays'.  Often interesting stuff, and often a writer's view of the USA.

PPS.  Don't forget your local, either. My own had as a headline recently "Boy Scouts Clear Path Of Weeds". You just can't get by without that kind of information!

The Guardian: is read by the people who ought to run the country.

The Sun: is read by people who don't mind who runs the country, provided they've got big boobs.

SERIOUSLY laughing out loud at this!! My husband reads the sun, bless him. And I read the guardian! What does that say about us then. Hee hee!

When I 1st moved to England I read the times because it was more conservative, but now I read the Guardian because it's less conservative - and for all the anti-US stuff they print I find just as much non-anti-US stuff, so they seem pretty fair to me anyway. Plus they have the easiest & best crossword!!!

Hey Sara!  We're Guardian readers too!  

What does that say about us then.  Hee hee!

Well, dear Marlespo, it means that you should run the country.  Ahem, I shall say no more, and particularly not anything about your DH's interests and your own present fecund situation!!!!!!!!

Howard

PS, and off-topic, our Julia was an April baby too!  They're the very best!!!

My Saturday morning routine- put pot of coffee on, pop around the corner for the Saturday Guardian- I love their weekend magazine!

Our first trip back home to the US I brought a Sun for my 15 year old nephew-- just to see the look on his face when he turned to page 3!!!

the Daily Mail and the Telegraph support the Conservative Party, because they always have.  The Daily Express used to, but switched to the Labour Party a few years back. The Times used to support the Conservatives, but tends to swing both ways these days. The Sun was solidly Conservative, but suddenly swung to Labour just before the 1997 election - the moment when all the nation could see that the Tories were going to loose. Opportunistic rather than principled. Admittedly, Sun readers have little interest in whatever politics their paper purports to have. Daily Star readers have even less interest in politics. The Daily Mirror supports the Labour party, because it always has. Guardian generally supports Labour, but tends to be further to the Left these days - more because of Labour's swing to the Right under Blair than because the Grauniad itself has moved. It is the most liberal (in US terms) paper and the favoured location for arts/media/education job advertisements. Independent tries not to take a party line, but generally ends up siding with Labour.

We are Guardian readers too and a work colleague's (English) husband was very surprised when talking to Stu at an Xmas party that an American reads the Guardian, I don't know why! Anyway we do sometimes read the Inde for a change and Stu likes the US sport page in the Times, on Tuesdays I think. He is also not averse to picking up other people's copies of the Sun to read the football pages but he knows what'll happen if he brings it home !! BTW I used to get a daily news email from the Guardian but they started charging for it (not very egalitarian of them!) so I now get the Inde and the Times daily emails instead.

I should also point out that both the Beeb and ITN (the Independent Televison News agency) strive very hard to remain unbiassed, to the extent of attacking all the political parties impartially (watch Paxman and his colleagues!)  I think it's also true to say that all independent broadcasting companies under the terms of their charters/licenses to broadcast have to be apolitical, so you don't get, for example, a Tory/Libdem/Labour station.

Joss and I read the Guardian, and its stable-mate the Observer.  Both are good we think because although left-wing/liberal, they nevertheless publish articles by people holding the opposite views to their own.

I used to read the Times, but gave it up when Rupert Murdoch took it over.  And don't forget, the Sun is its stable-mate!

I must say I was surprised when Curious said that the Express had swung towards Labour: I always thought it was further to the right even than its rival the Mail!

Now, come on you good Americans!  Share with us arrogantly ignorant Brits your view of your own press/media!  No need to get into political debate (there are other fora for that!) - just how you see the set-up.  I should love to know more!

I hated the US newspapers available to me.
LOVE them here.
Hated USA Today, NYTimes, Wall Street Journal...
most of the other options are local. You get your nearest big city newspaper.
Never liked mine.
Maybe it's because it ALL seems like local news, not enough National or world news? Then again, there is more local news, since "local" means a much bigger area... hrm. *ponder*
I should look into getting a Guardian subscription in the US, wonder if you can do that?

The letters-to-the-editor page of the Guardian often has correspondence from people resident in the US, so I think there must be means to get it there.

Outside the UK you can get the "Weekly Guardian" - a tabloid sized issue with the main news of the week and best feature articles and reviews. There are also similar weekly editions of the Independent and Telegraph. You should be able to get it anywhere that sells a good range of newspapers/mags or you can subscribe.  

Cool, thanks guys.

lol after reading that lot i may as well stay with MAD Magazine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!