Do you subscribe to one? Or do you buy one now and again, or read them 'on line'? Well, I have always liked the feel of a newspaper in my hand. For many years I took The Guardian, until it began to feel so flimsy and Araucaria died so that the amazing crosswords he concocted were gone for ever. So I converted to The Times (I hear imaginary gasps from Guardian readers). But I am in no way a political animal and I take the Times purely because it has, in my opinion the best daily Mind Games, and at my age I have to keep the old grey matter working hard.
But sometimes I get disillusioned by every newpaper. They are so addicted to sensationalism and some of the columnists have to churn out three columns each week and it must be difficult to keep thinking of subject matter.
But today I find things very depressing. Deborah Ross writes three columns about Golliwogs. Her article can be summed up by her last sentence. She speaks of the attitude of the police to golliwogs and says 'political correctness gone mad' after police seized a collection of golliwogs from a pub. I don't agree with her at all - I spent most of my working life teaching black boys and girls of teenage years and I found almost all of them delightful, eager to learn, well-behaved and polite in school. What they were like outside school I have no idea, but I can say the same for white teenagers under my care, but I can say with certainty that they would all have found the golliwog - both the name and the doll offensive, as I do.
Then there is a couple of columns about Harry (no need to say which Harry - all the newspapers have done him to death haven't they?) He is coming alone to his father's Coronation, his wife is staying at home because their son's birthday coincides with the date of the coronation. Why not just say this - why speculate on reasons and possible outcomes. Could we please, just f or a little while, give it a rest?
Frong page 'Harry heads for coronation without Meghan', 'British lives at risk from US secrets leaks'. Inside is no more cheerful - 'Homeowners face squeeze as Covid mortgage deals end', Truss attacks Macron over him going to Beijing, Duke torn between duty to families (yes, it's that man again).
I could go on, but I am sure you get the picture - Doom and Gloom all round. Yes, there is a lot of terrible doom and gloom in the world today but please, newspapers, could you all have a combined effort to lighten things up? Cats, dogs, babies, Spring (sunshine and flowers not pouring rain and strong winds) - all bring a smile to our lips. One of the reasons I watch Antiques Roadshow on Sunday evenings is that the cameramen seem to focus almost as much on the dogs folk are dragging round on leads as they do on the antiques.
I shall continue to take the good old Times - it has the very best Mind Games - I do them all every weekday - straight after my breakfast - they usually take me a couple of hours but being housebound I have little else to do (except of course to chat to you all - the highlight of my day). And it keeps my mind active. Week ends the Mind Games are slimmed down somewhat and I have to resort to Wordl- the good old computer is good old stand-in-.
Have a good evening. Look at the blue bits in the sky at sunset, not at any big lurking black clouds please. See you tomorrow.
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27 comments:
I wondered as a young adult why I didn't read newspapers or listen to the news, and one day realised that as a small child during World War 2, I had never been allowed to see the papers or hear the news. These days I listen to the headlines which often contain items that could scarcely be called news, and I buy a regional newspaper with local and national news and the best selection of mind games and word puzzles. I am sick of speculatory gossip about the Royal Family - their problems are none of our business. As for doom and gloom - that also is largely guesswork, and the media love to keep up the scaremongering.
My feet are still cold.
I no longer subscribe to newspapers for all the reasons you mention. Investigative journalism is dead. At one time, journalists showed both sides of a story. Today, depending on the newspaper, news articles are one sided or very slanted to one side and sometimes simply false. We all know the world is in a state. We all wish things were better. Newspapers are in trouble because many do not subscribe. The younger generation gets their news online and from what I know, depending on the site, this can be skewed as well. It is 80 degrees F in Massachusetts and Spring has sprung.
I used to read Newspapers Pat... I no longer read newspapers or watch the news... i get a little news on my feed on my phone but i don't linger.. My everyday life keeps me busy enough with worrying about things going on around me that i have no control over.. Whatever is going to happen in those ole' World will happen without me keeping an eye on it.. I miss the comics and the Horoscope and Dear Abby...lol But if i really wanted to i could find them all elsewhere.. Hugs! deb
I get an actual paper delivered on Sunday (the Chicago Tribune). The rest of the days it comes to my email. I also get the NY Times newsletter in my email. I skim through to see what is going on in the world...
Journalism is definitely not what it used to be, so I won't bother buying and reading newspapers. I get all I need to know on the computer.
'Mind Games' - I have no time for that. I live alone and have to teach myself how to fix things in and around the house, as I don't like to depend on others.
Good accurate rant. Newspapers hype stuff rather than just report what is.
We subscribe to our regional newspaper which is quite good. Not too much doom and gloom, and usually only one page of gossip. I get up at about 5 AM, but the paper is always already there, the person who delivers it must be a very early riser. We always buy the local newspaper when on holiday in a country where we can speak the language at least a little bit, a morning without a paper is just not complete. We used to buy a national weekly paper, but during the last years it has become too leftist and too "green" for our taste. So now we buy the Sunday edition of a national newspapaer. And I usually read the online edition or the Swiss "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" because it is always interesting to have a view at your country from the outside.
Hilde in Germany
I have subscribed to the Telegraph for many years and have actually taken it for around fifty years, and always will do, not because of their political leanings but purely because I consider it a great newspaper and I thoroughly enjoy reading it every day.
I don't agree with your comments about golliwogs and Harry and the awful Megan so will leave it at that.
I haven't bought a newspaper in years, except very occasionally to while away the time on long train journeys.
I take my local paper because it is important to know what is going on here in my home county, far more so than anywhere else. I live here. I need to know about local crime, planning, traffic, more cycle lanes, house building, farming and local politics and arguments going on in County Hall. It has two pages of world news. I do not believe you when you say you are not a political animal, you are and this has nothing to do with your choice of newspaper. I don't believe in national newspapers as being a source of the truth about news and am happy as I am. I have plenty to keep me occupied.
I wonder whether the national weekly newspaper Hilde in Germany alludes to in her comment was DIE ZEIT? It was the one paper I had delivered every week for about 30 years, but it became increasingly difficult to find the time to read it properly, plus I was not happy with how some of the writing seemed to become more and more sloppy and - dare I say it - sensationalist, too.
My local newspaper is of such bad quality that I won't spend one single cent on it. I fully agree with Rachel that it is important to know what's going on where we live, but that paper is full of typing errors, and articles are often badly researched and even worse in writing style. I try to keep abreast by checking my city's official website which regularly updates on current topics around town. As for regional, national and world news, I largely rely on the main news on one of our offical TV channels. I am under no illusion that any news I can find online, in a paper or on TV are filtered by whoever is publishing them.
I will read people like Will Hutton, Simon Jenkins, Marion Hyde and John Crace (all Guardian journalists) happily on my computer, paid for subscription of course. But actually quite miss The Times journalists. As for local news I have F/B and watch the shenanigans. Hopeless at crosswords, but do Wordle most days and jigsaws to keep my eye in!
The news changes every day and gets worse politically, you begin to see humans that are not very bright, especially politicians - that was a terrible shock of course!!!
We only buy one newspaper each week, The Saturday Telegraph simply because of its cryptic crossword and P finds their weekly TV guide useful. There are a few interesting articles from time to time but much of the content is aimed at a different socio-economic group to us.
I don't read newspapers, but I used to like the Sundays. I know what you mean about doom and gloom. It's everywhere. Re the young man who put out state secrets via a WhatsApp group, I think I would rather not be him than anyone else in the world at the moment. A stupid 23 year-old who will not leave prison until late middle age. Americans take it very seriously.
I no longer read newspapers of any sort, just reading the headlines on the supermarket display rack when I am in there makes me more resolute not to buy a paper ever again every time I go in.
You are saying in this post exactly what I have been thinking more and more over the past couple of months. The 'click-bait' media headlines are ridiculous and the non-stop stories about Harry are making a mockery of the whole system.
I would love to read a headline and then it's story that is simply real news and common-sense ... just for a change.
Well it does seem that by and large we feel the same. Derek - I do think loyalty to one paper is wonderful - I don't care about the so-called politics of a particular paper but do care about the quaolity of the writing. I look forward to reading Libby Purves and
Matthew Parris - not so much because of what they write about but because I admire the way they put together a readable article, well-written, staying 'to the point'
Tasker -the only advice I can give you is thicker socks.
Thanks for joining in.
I cancelled my Saturday paper as I found myself becoming depressed after reading it and thats not why I was reading it. I no longer watch the news on tv for the same reason. I do read the free monthly news that is delivered to my house outlining local events, usually an article about an interesting resident, local sports etc. someone brought my girls a golliwog doll from England and they loved it. We took our four year old in 1967 to the Bahamas where she saw her first black person and she marched up to a lady in the market and said “how come you are so black and I’m so white?” The lady sat her down and explained that god baked some people a little longer than others just like cookies. My daughter just said Oh, okay. GG
I stopped buying a daily paper a couple of weeks ago when they upped the price once again. Can't say I miss it, apart from the sudoku and crossword. However I still purchase one on Saturday, just because of the TV listings for the week. On the subject of golliwogs, I think the police over reacted, 6 officers!, ridiculous. I am now 73 years of age and can remember making a golliwog at primary school during a sewing class. My baby cousin was given it and loved it.
Golliwogs?
My favorite book as a child was Little Black Sambo and I still have my book.. I don’t think they print it anymore..My almost retired daughters loved it too and keep threatening to kidnap it and hold it for ransom. I think that book made me always want to travel especially to India and Africa which I have been lucky to do.. I have always been brought up to disregard looks and skin colour and judge by actions. Do you know that book Weave?
So much to agree - and disagree - with here!
I get international/national news on my phone but I don't read it until I've had that first cup of tea.
I'm mainly interested in local news, both in print and on TV.
I find the Look North reporting is of a higher standard than the preceding BBC national news; interviews are deeper and more hard hitting with the reporter less prepared to take the glib reply from the interviewee.
I still do Wordle every morning with my coffee.
The only paper periodical that comes into the house is the Radio Times. It has a fiendish Enigma crossword!
I love cryptic crosswords, so quite often pick up the Guardian or the Times for that. Unfortunately, I find the Telegraph too easy! I like to do an actual paper crossword or other puzzle, rather than online, but maybe I'm a dying breed? Most newspapers are owned by foreign 'moguls' - for that reason I prefer the Guardian, as it is editorially independent, albeit more left leaning (which suits me). For informed, measured and intellectually sound comment on world affairs, I subscribe (free) to Chatham House - try it! As a final point, I feel the debate about 'golliwogs' has been blown up to seem like an infringement of liberties whereas, in 1970s London, the derogatory term 'wog' was directed so often to my then boyfriend, an overseas student of Caribbean origin, that I cannot accept that the term 'golly' is in no way racist. Just my point of view, but having heard my boyfriend being denigrated in that way, but also me being called, by some women of Caribbean origin and also many men of all racial origins, a 'white w***e for being in a relationship with him, I realised that racism works both ways, but decent human beings need to speak out and stand up to it!
I also like the feel of a newspaper, but finally canceled my print subscription and went digital-only. I was paying more and more for an increasingly inferior product. It's sad, but I could no longer justify it. As for Harry, I read "Spare" (got it from the library, would have never purchased it) and learned how deep his animosity towards the British press goes. He also has much ill will toward his family. It would be interesting to hear their side of things. It was an interesting read, but I have limited sympathy for him.
Bob, he was well loved here in Britain until he met his American bride. She changed him and everything about him. He failed to listen to good advice, marry in haste, repent at leisure, and let his family down.
We used to take the paper. It finally got down to 8 pages or so, with one for comics, another for classified. Huge advertisements taken out by companies who wanted you not to trust the government but to invest all your money into gold. I suppose the straw that broke the camel's back was when they began to print letters from right wing fanatics with 'facts' that were provably untrue. During covid, I spoke with the editor. He felt quite strongly that in the interest of 'free speech', he had no right to refuse to print them. I felt he had an obligation, as an editor, to refuse to print demonstratively untrue letters. He told me that I could correct the facts, yet when I did, he limited my letters. What is the point of paying for a paper that cannot even be relied upon to speak the truth?
My views on golliwogs are based on the lovely cuddly golliwog I had as a child. I named him John and he was dressed in a pale green knitted suit made by my Mum. I loved that little golly; he was my companion for many years, having several different outfits (thanks to Mum) and even some pyjamas for bedtime. I also collected the badges available from Robinsons. The word'golliwog' never means a racial slur to me, never has done and I see nothing wrong with having a collection of golliwogs, same as a collection of teddies, or dolls. Why are people so ready to take offence and so ready to ban words or objects because they are swayed by people suggesting they are offensive.
"Baa Baa, Black Sheep" being banned in schools - absolutely ridiculous.
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