SHOULD WE STILL BUY NEWSPAPERS

[BIGDAN]

Hi All,

I, and some of you as well, will be very concerned about the recent exposure of journalists and private detectives hacking in to phones in the UK, especialy the recent hacking and deleteing of messages of murdered schoolgirl Millie Dowler and now the two Soham Murdered Girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

I am absolutly disgusted to keep reading about these so called journalists and editiors who think they can do and print anything they want with the War Cry "Freedom of Speach" is it not time to put these Papers out of business once and for all, and if we dont then we deserve them, So from now on I will never buy another so called News Paper in the hope many people will follow my lead. I will use the Internet for News, the TV for Listings, Crossword Puzzels from said books, Page 3 Lovelies from the Top Shelf Lads Mags, the Adverts will not be missed and I wont mind wiping my backside with some soft tissue for sure, are you with me People? or do I stand alone?

Regards, Danny

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14035270

[jabe]

Hi, BIGDAN. I still enjoy going out in my front yard at 5 a.m. every morning to grab a copy of the Birmingham News. Mainly I scan the headlines and then dive in to the editorial pages.

Also subscribe to the Monday special of Investor's Business Daily, which comes by mail on Saturday. Great reading.

But you're right, my local paper carries a lot of fluff that ink shouldn't be wasted on.

At least your page 3 beats the hell out of my page 3.

[BIGDAN]

Danny,

Printed news is dying, dying, dying anyway. But I agree with you that the sleaze factor in journalism is at a new low. I believe that much of it is because they are so desperate for stories as the internet "blogosphere" has replaced their monopoly on information.

Cheers,

Brad

Hi Brad,

I think they want DRAMA rather than TRUTH in their so called NEWS STORIES, time for them to go but as they still sell News Papers in the tens of millions weekly it would seem the People dont agree with me, is that why they carry on as though the People want Story rather than Truthful and Factualc Reporting of the News?

Kind Regards, Danny

[BIGDAN]

Hi, BIGDAN. I still enjoy going out in my front yard at 5 a.m. every morning to grab a copy of the Birmingham News. Mainly I scan the headlines and then dive in to the editorial pages.

Also subscribe to the Monday special of Investor's Business Daily, which comes by mail on Saturday. Great reading.

But you're right, my local paper carries a lot of fluff that ink shouldn't be wasted on.

At least your page 3 beats the hell out of my page 3.

Thanks Jabe, I remember a conversation many years ago with my parents about the pros and cons of buying a socialist newspaper, the Daily Mirror. In the end it wasdown to the Crossword, Racing News, Sport, Bingo Numbers, that they brought the paper for, they wouldnt change because that was what they were indoctrinated to do, buy I never buy a news paper although i get 3 free local ones which all end up serving me as either paint brush wipers or bird dropping collectors, i dont know what i would do without them.

Regards, Danny

[JTM]

I too am shocked, appalled, disgusted and whatever other word fits my anger over the outrageous (alleged) behaviour of the NOTW as reported on recent BBC news broadcasts. It has been reported that the Ford Motor Company has withdrawn all it's advertising from this sensationalist mudraking arse of a rag. NOTWs behaviour is unforgivable....Just like it's sister paper, the unmentionable ***. BBC tv and radio news does it for me so I have no need to buy newspapers. I will look through the the ones work colleagues leave lying around in the restroom, just to see what garbage is in them..........My Mother buys the Mail on Sunday, I'll look through it to see what will piss me off on my regular Sunday visit .....Peter Hitchens in particular succeeds most weeks..........So, yeah dont buy 'em nobody needs them in todays world................

[Jahfin]

I am absolutly disgusted to keep reading about these so called journalists and editiors who think they can do and print anything they want with the War Cry "Freedom of Speach" is it not time to put these Papers out of business once and for all, and if we dont then we deserve them, So from now on I will never buy another so called News Paper in the hope many people will follow my lead. I will use the Internet for News, the TV for Listings, Crossword Puzzels from said books, Page 3 Lovelies from the Top Shelf Lads Mags, the Adverts will not be missed and I wont mind wiping my backside with some soft tissue for sure, are you with me People? or do I stand alone?

If anything, internet sites are even more prone to "hacking" than print newspapers, especially given the events over the weekend of Fox News' Twitter feed being hacked.

While I certainly get a lot of news from internet sites, I still enjoy the physical act of actually reading a newspaper. If it's more the sensationalistic side of news reporting you're upset with, all one needs do is consider the source. Ridding the world of newspapers in general isn't going to eliminate tabloid newspaper reporting. That said, The National Enquirer actually broke the news story of John Edwards' infidelity but that still doesn't lend them any more credence in my book.

[BIGDAN]

If anything, internet sites are even more prone to "hacking" than print newspapers, especially given the events over the weekend of Fox News' Twitter feed being hacked.

While I certainly get a lot of news from internet sites, I still enjoy the physical act of actually reading a newspaper. If it's more the sensationalistic side of news reporting you're upset with, all one needs do is consider the source. Ridding the world of newspapers in general isn't going to eliminate tabloid newspaper reporting. That said, The National Enquirer actually broke the news story of John Edwards' infidelity but that still doesn't lend them any more credence in my book.

Hi Jahfin,

Thanks for your input and insight, so i really cant win either way can i? so its back to the grape vine for me then hey?

Regards, Danny

[Strider]

Well first of all, let's agree that there's a difference between the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, LA Times and similar respected newspapers and the tabloids such as The Sun, Weekly World News and National Inquirer. You get what you pay for.

As Jahfin said, consider the source...and internet sites are just as susceptible to hacking, if not more so.

Second, I am getting sick-and-tired of hearing that print news is dead and that everyone can get their news from the internet. Despite what the internet cheerleaders would have you believe, the majority of news on the internet is still based on stories originally reported and sourced and written by PRINT MEDIA. It is still the reporters from the newspapers, radio stations and wire services like AP and Reuters, that go out and do the leg work and hard work involved in reporting.

Then some blowhard sitting in his underwear in his mother's basement can bloviate about it and link the story from the paper's website. Big whoop.

Even now, I will find tons of stories reported in the papers that I won't find on the internet, at least not reported in the depth of the newspaper reports.

So YES, I will still buy my L.A. Times, N.Y. Times, Economist, Wall St. Journal, and my other print sources for news. For one thing, I like relaxing in the morning with my coffee and paper. You can't relax over a computer screen glowing in your eyes.

I suggest Dan that you start buying a better quality paper. Rule of thumb, if there's a Page 3 bird, it's probably not a reputable news organization.

[BIGDAN]

Well first of all, let's agree that there's a difference between the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, LA Times and similar respected newspapers and the tabloids such as The Sun, Weekly World News and National Inquirer. You get what you pay for.

As Jahfin said, consider the source...and internet sites are just as susceptible to hacking, if not more so.

Second, I am getting sick-and-tired of hearing that print news is dead and that everyone can get their news from the internet. Despite what the internet cheerleaders would have you believe, the majority of news on the internet is still based on stories originally reported and sourced and written by PRINT MEDIA. It is still the reporters from the newspapers, radio stations and wire services like AP and Reuters, that go out and do the leg work and hard work involved in reporting.

Then some blowhard sitting in his underwear in his mother's basement can bloviate about it and link the story from the paper's website. Big whoop.

Even now, I will find tons of stories reported in the papers that I won't find on the internet, at least not reported in the depth of the newspaper reports.

So YES, I will still buy my L.A. Times, N.Y. Times, Economist, Wall St. Journal, and my other print sources for news. For one thing, I like relaxing in the morning with my coffee and paper. You can't relax over a computer screen glowing in your eyes.

I suggest Dan that you start buying a better quality paper. Rule of thumb, if there's a Page 3 bird, it's probably not a reputable news organization.

Hi Strider,

I will never buy another news paper untill I see all unscrupulous editors and journalists hanging by their thumbs (with all finger and toe nails pulled) from Tower Bridge, i kid you not.

But what you say makes sense and i take it on board so thanks.

Regards, Danny

[Jahfin]

I'm a pretty avid listener of NPR. Not long ago, a story they did on the current state of the information age sent me in search of this article interview with Alone Together author Sherry Turkle. Another NPR piece that really piqued my interest recently was one on the concept of "deep reading". Over the years, I've admittedly become more into reading magazines than books. I attribute this to a shortened attention span due to too much TV viewing and the internet browsing. I also recall a course I took in high school on speed reading called "Readak". More and more recently, I've found myself growing impatient even when reading a fairly short article so I've taken to reading books again.

^Slightly off-topic but I was really intrigued by the deep reading concept. I love reading so it really bothered me when I started to lose interest in an article after only a few paragraphs. Getting back into book reading is one of the best things I've ever done. I'd forgotten just how much I enjoyed reading books.

[SuperDave]

Well Dan, it seems that the UK has been setting the bar when it comes to sleaze in newspapers, although the U.S. is up there as well. We have our tabloids too, although ones like the Weekly World News are just a joke. They used to have headlines during the 1980's that mostly featured Elvis. Things such as "Elvis Is Found Alive In Kalamazoo" and "Elvis Discovered After Being Abducted By Aliens". Just reading the headlines was fun enough.

But these days, there are just no limits journalists and paparazzi will take for a story, no matter how much someone may get hurt. Like in Paris in 1997 with Princess Diana. Just scum! When vasts amounts of money are offered for these scoops and photos...then you know why!

[greenman]

Hopefully this kills off News Internationals takeover of Sky and makes people wakeup to the power they wheld.

I'd say this paints that smarmy bastard Cameron in a very poor light aswell, not only did he hire Coulson and is friends with Wade but he was also IMHO clearly in Murdochs pocket with reguards the whole superinjunction story. Obviously the damage done to these celebs wasnt anything like as bad as these latest incidents that have come to light but I found the way superinjucntions were treated as some kind of fundamental threat to our liberties rather sickening.

[JTM]

Breaking News.............The News of the World is to cease publication after the next Sunday's edition.

[redrum]

Cry "Freedom of Speach"

You mean 'Freedom Of (de)Press?

A classic example of 'journalism' occurred on a job we did at San Jose State in California. We had a small fire from our blow torch and someone panicked and called the fire dept. and by the time they showed up we had it under control and the fire was out. But lo and behold this 'journalism student' from the school shows up and when her story came out in the school paper she said that the fire dept. had put out the fire. Dumb bitch. Just the facts, ma'am!

I believe it was Thomas Jefferson who said:

'The only truthful part of a newspaper are the advertisements!'

[Anjin-san]

"If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you're mis-informed."

— Mark Twain

[The Rover]

The largest circulation English paper is now kaput.

Police and Public inquiries to follow.

[bouillon]

Against my better judgement, I actually bought yesterday's NOTW out of some misplaced sense of occasion. One thing I did notice was the total absence of any commercial advertising. Instead, the paper was full of adverts for charities, which was surprising because one would have expected them to be equally reluctant to be associated with the rag. Maybe NOTW gave them the ads for free, who knows, but it seemed quite tawdry for them to agree to be included.

In a way, I have to say I feel quite sorry for the paper. Anyone who thinks that phone hacking is confined to NOTW & the rest of the Murdoch empire is a fool. Make no mistake: most of the others will be doing this, with the possible exception of the cringe-inducingly worthy Grauniad. They're just better at hiding their tracks - and, more importantly, nobody has an axe to grind with them or their owners.

The recent exposure of the more shocking examples of hacking were obviously timed to undermine Murdoch's takeover of BSB. This stuff has been dragging on for years, and the revelation of the more egregious hacking has almost certainly been held back until now to inflict maximum damage.

[bouillon]

They used to have headlines during the 1980's that mostly featured Elvis. Things such as "Elvis Is Found Alive In Kalamazoo" and "Elvis Discovered After Being Abducted By Aliens". Just reading the headlines was fun enough.

Our equivalent was the Sunday Sport, which doubled as a tug mag. It made the News Of The World look like The Spectator.

In one of its earliest issues, the classic headline (accompanied by a photo) was 'World War 2 Bomber Found On Moon'.

Next week, the headline (accompanied by a similar but different photo) was 'World War 2 Bomber Found On Moon Vanishes.'

[BIGDAN]

News International is in more trouble, the plot thickens as the hole Mr Murdoch is in only gets deeper.

Regards, Danny

Gordon Brown 'targeted by Sunday Times'

The Sunday Times is alleged to have targeted the personal information of the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the time he was chancellor, a BBC investigation has found.

Documents and a phone recording suggest "blagging" was used to obtain private financial and property details.

The Browns also fear medical records relating to their son Fraser, whom the Sun revealed in 2006 had cystic fibrosis, may have been obtained.

News International is yet to respond.

It was discovered by the building society's fraud department which alleged someone successfully called their Bradford call centre six times pretending to be Brown and were given information.

In letters obtained by the BBC, the Abbey National wrote to Sunday Times editor John Witherow concluding it had suspicions that "someone from the Sunday Times or acting on its behalf has masqueraded as Mr Brown for the purpose of obtaining information from Abbey National by deception."

The Abbey National said to Mr Brown's lawyer it was a "well-orchestrated scheme of deception".

Abbey National has not been able to identify the blagger, and did accept in a letter to Mr Brown it did not have conclusive evidence.

However, the Guardian journalist Nick Davies has alleged a former actor John Ford carried out specialised blagging from banks during this period for the Sunday Times. This allegation is detailed in his book Flat Earth News.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14112097

[redrum]

"If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you're mis-informed."

— Mark Twain

Classic!

Another quote I love of his (and it may or may not be by him):

'The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco!'

Whether he said it or not, it's damned true.

[Knebby]

Anyone who has bought into this demise of "News of the World" garbage is easily fooled. When "The Sun On Sunday" starts up I'll bet they employ all the same staff - apart from the few they throw to the dogs to ease the public's sudden "outrage".

[Strider]

Classic!

Another quote I love of his (and it may or may not be by him):

'The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco!'

Whether he said it or not, it's damned true.

Often attributed to Mark Twain, but never actually substantiated. Others that have been rumoured to have said the above quote are: Oscar Wilde, Jack London and Gertrude Stein.

Meanwhile, I give to you the greatest gift the Weekly World News gave the world...BAT BOY! Who didn't love Bat Boy? Whose day wasn't brighten when standing in the supermarket check-out line by the crazy adventures of Bat Boy blared on the cover of the Weekly World News?

Here are a few classics...

[SuperDave]

Thanks Strider. Great ones. I remember these. Absolutely classic!

[Magic Fills the Air]

Like most British people, I'm disgusted and appalled by the tactics used by News International in order to obtain private information, especially the revelations that have come out in the last two days. This video makes very interesting (and satisfying) viewing:

There will always be a place for newspapers, and we shouldn't tarnish all newspapers with the same brush. The Guardian has helped to expose the deceit at News International and bring down The News of the World. The News of the World is casting itself as a victim in all this, and its last issue used cheap sentimentality to sell as many issues as possible.

[Knebby]

Anyone who has bought into this demise of "News of the World" garbage is easily fooled. When "The Sun On Sunday" starts up I'll bet they employ all the same staff - apart from the few they throw to the dogs to ease the public's sudden "outrage".

Ooh looky -

The Sun On Sunday