Best broadsheet newspaper

[osymandus]

Oh yes the Independent,sales going down,faster then a Southend player in the penalty box,too middle of the road jonny boy.

Just shows way too many people want to be told what flavor their news should be weird !

 

[EastStandBlue]

but they've made such nasty cuts to Sports that it's barely worth reading anymore, save for Henry Winter, naturally.

I often find that, whoever Winter and Samuels are writing for at the time, generally has the better, more rounded sports coverage.

Whoever replaced Samuels for The Sun, I've forgotten his name now, is the master of the knee-jerk over the top reaction. After United's loss to Burnley, he was adamant they'd amount to nothing this season and it was all Ferguson's fault, bringing in Owen being the pivotal point of Fergie's apparent madness.

No more than a few days later, United stuck five past Wigan. On the scoresheet? None other than Michael Owen.

 

[Uncle Leo]

I often find that, whoever Winter and Samuels are writing for at the time, generally has the better, more rounded sports coverage.

Whoever replaced Samuels for The Sun, I've forgotten his name now, is the master of the knee-jerk over the top reaction. After United's loss to Burnley, he was adamant they'd amount to nothing this season and it was all Ferguson's fault, bringing in Owen being the pivotal point of Fergie's apparent madness.

No more than a few days later, United stuck five past Wigan. On the scoresheet? None other than Michael Owen.

Steven Howard? I really missed Samuel when he left The Times, but he's since gone to The Mail (for about £400k a year) so I only read him occasionally or online.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Steven Howard? I really missed Samuel when he left The Times, but he's since gone to The Mail (for about £400k a year) so I only read him occasionally or online.

That'll be him... Some of his articles are quite good, well reasoned pieces, but other times he can be so exaggerative it hurts. Worst one of the lot I find to be Shepard from the Daily Star... But then if you write for Monkeys, you've gotta speak gibberish.

Henry Winter was the guest speaker at my University and was inspiring to say the least.

 

[Pubey]

A few years ago both Leicester and LSE had subsidised copies of the guardian in the student shop, so it was good value. Can't remember what you said you were studying but the economist is a good subscription (very good value rates for students), and personally I like to vary which papers I buy (normally between the independent, the times and the guardian)

 

[Ron Manager]

I tended to buy The Times. Despite being a Murdoch owned paper I always felt they reported on the news from a neutral viewpoint - something which The Guardian and Daily Telegraph fail to do. I have my own views and opinions on issues and don't wish to have my newspaper tell me what I should be thinking or assume a point of view on my behalf. I like to be told the facts and reports on world events and make my own mind up.

Of course The Independent will do that, however I just personally prefer The Times as a paper. In addition the sport coverage in The Times is excellent, I'll certainly be getting a fix of The Game pullout on the Monday mornings I'm back in the UK.

 

[Mad Cyril]

My local Indian restaurant (Mumtaz Muhal in Benfleet) always has copies of The Times and (on Sunday) The Observer to read.

The last few takeaways have been a bit below par so I recently tried The Benfleet Tandoori. They used to have a poor reputation bu have definitely upped there game and I had a nice thali from them last night. Unfortunately they only had the Sunday Mail to read.

 

[SARF]

Torygraph and the Times.. Samuals seemed really good in the Times.. Now he is at the Mail he comes accross as a pontificating bore.. Funny that..

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

Telegraph for me as well.

 

[Napster]

Guardian on a Saturday for Charlie Brooker, the Jobs section, and a decent football pullout.
Observer or Sunday Times on Sunday depending on what the features are.

During the week, can't be bothered.

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Torygraph is going rapidly downhill, I'm afraid. It, like most papers, is absolutely on its uppers financially and so is succumbing to the Daily Express disease of cutting staff and re-hashing wire-copy from the agencies. There's an excellent piece in the current Eye which tells you some of the ludicrous stories the Telegraph has run, recently. It makes it sound like the Daily Star.

Politically, the FT is the least biased, but (frankly) I often find it pretty heavy-going, since nearly everything is about finance and the markets. The Indy often has good angles on stories, or stories you wouldn't read elsewhere, but I find the writing style turgid.

So it comes down to politics. If you're centre-left, you may enjoy the Grauniad. If you're centre-right, you may enjoy the Times. I enjoy both!

:)

Oh, and as others have said, the Observer is usually very well written, and isn't quite as biased as the Grauniad is. Read it while you can - Rusbridger and the Guardian Group are determined to close it down, more's the pity.

Matt

 

[Sussex Shrimper]

I used to really like the Independent, but at the moment reading it feels kinda like watching a beloved pet become very, very sick. Ever since Roger Alton took over as editor it's been edging slowly but surely towards the same kind of celebrity obsession and lurid stories favoured by the less salubrious corners of the media. As others have said, the financial situation is also beginning to tell with more and more agency copy creeping in, and I'm not sure how long the paper can keep hold of its top writers.

As good as the ride has been, if it was to pass on I'm not sure that it wouldn't ultimately spare the readership from further, unnecessary distress.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Wait till newspapers become online subscription only... Costs will rapidly fall and it should, in theory, keep the standard of journalism high within the broadsheets. Presumably the Daily Star will just become a porn site with the occasional story about Chelsea.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Thinking of starting to read a more academic paper, so just wondering, what's the best one to get?

The Guardian?

If you want to become a more rounded, better informed person then read a selection of the broadsheets not just one.

See how the different broadsheets (Times, Torygraph, Grauniad, Indy and FT) deal differently with the same story: what angle do they come from, how much prominence they give the story etc etc. If you have to go with just one paper, go for one that challenges your political views as you'll get more from it, but I'd recommend varying it so you get to read all the main broadsheets.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I wouldn't normally read the Mail on Sunday but my thali and cauliflower bhajee took a bit of time last night so I had a quick read over a pint whilst waiting.

I am a big fan of adverts for Franklin mint style collectables, casual slacks, comfortable shoes and innovations catalogue style tat and I must say I was impressed with what I found in the paper and supplement.

I have my eye on a pair of slacks that are like Farahs but a bit more generous and they have an elasticated waistband at the back.

 

[Slipperduke]

Wait till newspapers become online subscription only... Costs will rapidly fall and it should, in theory, keep the standard of journalism high within the broadsheets. Presumably the Daily Star will just become a porn site with the occasional story about Chelsea.

I would love that to happen, but is there really any chance? The lunacy of giving first class content away for free doesn't seem to be fading.

 

[seany t]

The Guardian is about to become £1 a copy I heard, with a view to possibly getting rid of it altogether on weekdays within a few months and just focus online coverage (with a subscription charge I guess?).

And if Murdoch's son gets his ranting, evil way then the BBC will be axed too meaning we'll all have to buy our news coverage through News International.

 

[EastStandBlue]

I would love that to happen, but is there really any chance? The lunacy of giving first class content away for free doesn't seem to be fading.

Distinct possibility of it happening to The Guardian apparently... I suspect if it's a smash hit, like I expect it to be, others will follow suit.

 

[Napster]

I would love that to happen, but is there really any chance? The lunacy of giving first class content away for free doesn't seem to be fading.

But that's not true, though. It's being aided by online advertising. The only reason the pay-per-view argument is coming on, is because of the drop in advertising revenue across the board. If they ditch the offline model, they drop the associated costs, but they will still have the indirect costs. First class content is a misnomer anyway, journos are twenty a dozen, and anyone can start a blog.

It's all about branding, and so on. The best website to capture their target market will win, but I foresee many papers closing for good, on and offline.

 

[Reg Martin]

I used to read The Times regularly but I got the impression it was trying to aim itself predomiantely at a female readership - too many 'why all men are *******s'/'why all women are perfect' type articles in T2.

Started to read The Guardian recently. Contrary to the usual trend I seem to be moving to the left politically as I get older. The downside to The Guardian is that its too pc about Islam whilst at the same time stereotyping all Christians as 'mad, bad and dangerous to know'.

The Indepedent may be independent of any party but its hardly unbiased. I find it smug and sanctimonious and its front page often seems to be aimed at 5-year olds.

The Telegraph is too dull to read and too slavishly pro-Conservative/anti-Labour for me