Number2Fan Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 I've no idea how to start this thread really, but I know I'm looking forward to any discussion it may cause. I personally do not buy tabloids, because I don't agree with the way they print absolute lies and gossip, and actually influence the thoughts and opinions of everyone that reads them. I must admit if The Sun is left on the table at work I do browse it, only to find myself annoyed at the fact most of the stories aren't news, and amused at what drivel people choose to pay for and read on a daily basis. My Mother thinks the closure of the NOTW is a terrible thing to happen, with no particular reason to back that up. She reads The Mail and it's clear to me that it has power to tell her what her opinions should be. I think it's about time something happened to bring them down. For 4 yrs as a teenager I worked in a newsagents and saw the amount of copies these things sell, and to whom they sell too. Now the NOTW shut because nobody wanted to advertise in it, to be associated with it's immoral and underhand methods of getting the story. Up until now though, it was deemed ok for them to hack peoples calls, to print phone conversations of celebrities and MP's, even our Royal family. To me the papers are like the sheepdogs of society, driving the general population whichever way they see fit, depending on who's in favour with them att and not in any public interest. They have always annoyed me for this, and I must be honest, I dislike the Murdoch's and am enjoying seeing Rupert on the News at Ten being chased by Paparazzi, how ironic!! I don't care which footballer got a BJ from who, which TV star snorted coke nor what Ian Huntley looks like in his prison cell. That's not news. I actually don't care what any celebrities do in their own time, and if and when I do I'll buy an autobiography. IMO they've got away with this behaviour far too long, in my mums opinion 'The Peoples Papers' shouldn't be closed. Anyone remember the Hillsborough Disaster as reported by The Sun, or the death of Princess Diana caused by the frenzied photographers desperate to make money from the papers who 'd made the public think they needed to know where she was and who she was with every minute of the day!! Or when the Mirror printed completely made up pictures of our soldiers ill treating Muslims. Fuelling fires so they could continue to stoke them and line their pockets. Now's the time for people to grow a pair, and make up their own minds about what's important in their lives, and what they think about it. I call for a boycott of tabloids for all these reasons, and have not been surprised by the recent revellations. It's about time. We all know the hacking stories of the moment so I don't write details of those, but how have they gotten away with this for so long. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Kane Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 The only people I feel sorry for are some of the actual journalists who worked at the NOTW and the backroom staff who had nothing to do with this whole sorry mess. To close a paper after 168 years of print is a shame imo. BUT Their practices were abhorrent and I totally agree with most of what you've said above regarding their "stories". The problem is that where there is a market for this pap people will tailor their paper/magazine to it. Just look at the huge fortunes that OK! and Hello! rake in. I've not read the NOTW since I stopped getting it for free at my old job - their sports coverage was pretty good but generally I don't miss it. The whole of NI seem to be in the dock and a whole lot more dirt is going to emerge before this clears up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number2Fan Posted July 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 I feel they masqueraded as a newspaper. People can buy Nuts or Heat magazines for pap and celeb goss, and newspapers should contain actual news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonB Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Papers can be your best friend your your worst enemy in a instant all for the sake of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggsy Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 To be fair though, the "decent" pricier newspapers did contain good news from trustworthy sources. The cheapo crap papers such as The Sun, Mirror, News of The World, etc were appalling. They were aimed at your average builder and labourer that wanted something "light" to read at lunchtime - a laugh at Dear Deirdre, a quick look at page 3 with his workmates and a read of 'Striker'. If they took the news seriously, then they wanted their head looking at. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. If you want good news - you have to buy a better paper. I used to read 'The Sun' mainly for the sport. Their news was dire - but their sport was always spot on. If they said a player was going to X club, you could pretty much guarantee that a few days later, that player would join that club. other than that, I wasn't really interested. I don't see the point in paying for a "decent" newspaper when the news is thrust down our throats all day on TV and radio anyway. What they did is wrong - very wrong, and I hope the relevant people face criminal action over it. With regards to those that have lost their jobs - they'll be sorted. They'll get a good payout - and no doubt they'll all be back in a job in a few weeks time when "The Sun" announce they're extending to 7 days a week - because the News Of The World was The Sun but with a 'Sunday name' anyway. Lets face it, the News Of The World isn't closing down - its just going to disappear until this dust settles down, and then the same shite will be back as The Sun On Sunday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number2Fan Posted July 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 I did think that. But I think it's looking grim for The Sun also now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggsy Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 I did think that. But I think it's looking grim for The Sun also now. True! Again though, it'll bounce back in some shape or form. It will also probably close - and then a month later, we'll see TV adverts announcing a "new" newspaper - but it'll just be The Sun again under a new name with the same old shite in it. Things like this always come back again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Kane Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 There's no way they'll close The Sun - they made sure that all of the contentious stories were saved for Sundays and the NOTW anyway. I read an article about Murdoch's taking over of the two papers in the 80's - basically his group would "buy up" all the best stories (the kind they wanted anyway) and delay them until Sunday so that the NOTW could have the exclusive. Obviously in this day and age no-one reads papers for the actual news - we can get that in an instant and for free online or on the 24 hour news networks - people just buy them to read the opinion pieces, the sport coverage and the celeb twaddle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number2Fan Posted July 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 I dunno if they buy them for the celeb twaddle, I think it's something the papers have created and enhanced upon more in the recent years. Would someone buy a specific paper because it has a picture of Cheryl Coles new haircut in it? I can't even imagine how sad that actually is. (I suppose some do though) I saw The Sun last week at work and it had a whole page devoted to Cheryl being blonde, and photos of two lookalikes, her and Ashley having a cuddle somewhere, and eating dinner somewhere. Saying 'that's how they'd look if they were out. I mean WTF? I think even the 'Jeremy Kyle Massive' find the recent hacking exposure stories very bad taste. Liverpool still boycott The Sun for it's lies over 22 yrs on. I think they'll have to change their ways/name and description before they'll recover now. I hope so anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Kane Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 I think The Sun sells just because it's The Sun - people just buy it or have it delivered because they always have. I doubt anyone really sees a paper headline anymore and thinks 'Oh my God I need to see Cheryl's new haircut' or words to that effect. News is available for free and instantly online - thus it's where I get it from. Papers trade on opinion and other stuff to sell. - The Sun doing their "Family Holidays for a tenner" or whatever it is must make an absolute mint Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number2Fan Posted July 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 Yeah. But most of the money must be coming from advertising, and if that goes ... My nan used to get The Sun for the bingo. But what you've said above is what I mean, if they're buying the paper anyway, then this drive for the front page exclusive is irrelevant surely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Kane Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 Yeah. But most of the money must be coming from advertising, and if that goes ... My nan used to get The Sun for the bingo. But what you've said above is what I mean, if they're buying the paper anyway, then this drive for the front page exclusive is irrelevant surely. It depends. If it's just a news story on the front page - by which I mean something like the troubles in the Middle East - then it won't sell. More respected papers and other media outlets has this covered. If they have an "exclusive" expose on something, i.e. the old "Fake Sheikh" stories from the NOTW, or have a celeb "Exclusive" which is not reported anywhere else (due largely to a single journo working for that paper covering it) then people will buy it. The recent rubbish about Rio Ferdinand's affairs was an "Exclusive" and, seeing as most of it was heresay and conjecture, no other outlet reported it in the same way and so if people wanted to read about it (who knows why they would - but they do) they have to buy The Sun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number2Fan Posted July 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 Hmmm Saddos I see the BSkyB bid is now withdrawn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Kane Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 Hmmm Saddos Totally - but it sells so people will cotinue to put it out there. It amazes me that the "celebrity" magazines sell any copies at all but there you go. Yep good news about the BSkyB takeover being shevled - amid the political unrest there was no way it could have gone through Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number2Fan Posted July 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNReWbKK-qo&sns=fb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kml Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 I'm sick to death of it all now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simcut Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 The whole written press are a bunch of arseholes. Btw, I reckon Piers Morgan was up to no good, have a funny feeling about it, he's keeping remarkably quiet about this all. He was the bastard that printed the fake story about soldiers mistreating muslims. Newspapers have too much power, can ruin someone's reputation/life in an instant, and can print anything they like and just write a half-arsed apology later, hopefully with what happened to the NOTW, other papers will be looking over their shoulders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Kane Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 Piers Morgan is the worst of the worst - I really hate how Cowell and co managed to get the clueless public to forget all about the doctored troop photos in order to re-invent himself as a panelist and now talk show host! The guy is a wanker - no other word will do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number2Fan Posted July 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 Yeah if I could be given a free slap to anyone I like, it'd be Piers!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Kane Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 I spoke with a friend last week regarding Piers Morgan and Cheryl Cole. I reckon that Simon Cowell is conducting a mass public psycho-analysis experiment (or having a massive wager) to determine which of the world's twats he can make famous. He took a lying, arrogant, self-a-grandising, know-it-all, sacked journalist and made him a huge star at, wait for it, judging people's talent! and then got him his own US talk show! Then he took a Georgie back-up singer for a manufactured girl band who happened to racially assault a toilet attendent and made her 'the Nation's sweetheart'! Now he's taking a chav laughing stock of a singer and attempting to re-create the phenom! Part of me gives it him for the immense wool pulling exercise he suceeds at Part of me hates him more than anyone else in the world ever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Kane Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Rebecca Brooks has resigned (finally!) Can't help thinking that an awful lot of the shitstorm could have been averted if she'd done so two weeks ago! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number2Fan Posted July 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 She did offer it before and Murdoch wouldn't accept it. That Tom Watson speech I posted is from a month ago, and let's face it, The Guardian weren't gonna let this story go. I'm not sure what difference her resignation will make now. I also heard today that The Mail is planning a Sunday red top now with Kelvin Mackenzie as editor (he's the one that printed the lies about Liverpool in The Sun) Plus the FBI are interested in any post 9/11 hacking that may have gone on there. Apparently all the papers will run an apology from News International this weekend. It's also certainly highlighted the power the Murdoch empire actually has, and perhaps that something should be done about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Kane Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 There's a difference between offering it and actually doing it. If I tend my resignation it's more of a gesture than anything else - if my employer accepts it then fair enough - but really tendering it shows that you don't actually want to quit, you just want to save face. Resigning as she has done today is much more finite - you just tell your employer "I resign" and then leave -it's akin to quitting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number2Fan Posted July 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Yeah I see. Btw Kelvin Mackenzie as star columnist in the new Mail redtop not editor, as I said before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Kane Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Yeah I see. Btw Kelvin Mackenzie as star columnist in the new Mail redtop not editor, as I said before. That's only slightly better then! Most columnists are over-hyped anyway - the only ones I actually read with interest are Clarkson & Frankie Boyle - and both of those are for laughs, not to be told what to think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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