BS: ARGH! Wot's going on at the Grauniad ?

Subject: ARGH! Wot's going on at the Grauniad ?
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 21 Apr 01 - 09:22 AM

I've just had a look through the new Sat edition of the Guardian and it's horrible. They are turning this newspaper into the Times or worse still The Telegraph. First they do away with the foreign language section in the Tuesday Education Supplement and now they've introduced a nasty glossy magazine. Wot next?

Subject: RE: BS: ARGH! Wot's going on at the Grauniad ?
From: Morticia
Date: 21 Apr 01 - 09:37 AM

Dunno Sarah, I only read it on Wednesday for the job section :)

Subject: RE: BS: ARGH! Wot's going on at the Grauniad ?
From: paddymac
Date: 21 Apr 01 - 09:49 AM

I don't know about the east side of the pond, but on the west side newspapers generally have been seeing declining readerships over the last several years. That has/does lead/lead most of them to try a variety of "gimmicks", including format changes, more color, new sections, etc., etc., in the hope of retaining readership. I suspect that it's a losing battle for them, as more and more people turn to various electronic media for their "news". There are also the doomsayers who seem inclined to argue that the television culture is continuing to "dumb down" society. Those of a more Darwinian bent might say it's merely depressing the lowest common denominator even further. Fear not, however. Collapse of the social prder is not upon us: merely and evolutionary spike. As long as there is Mudcat, we will continue to need to read.

Subject: RE: BS: ARGH! Wot's going on at the Grauniad ?
From: paddymac
Date: 21 Apr 01 - 09:53 AM

Of course, keyboard skills are (at least in theory) evolving as well. (Well, for some, anyway) 'Tis not the "social prder" but the "social order" intended above. *BG*

Subject: RE: BS: ARGH! Wot's going on at the Grauniad ?
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 21 Apr 01 - 09:54 AM

Ah and I thought you were a closet Grauniad editor for a moment there Paddymac

Subject: RE: BS: ARGH! Wot's going on at the Grauniad ?
From: paddymac
Date: 21 Apr 01 - 10:09 AM

Mis-spellings and typos can be difficult to distinguish, and , then, there are always the creative folk who like to invent new words. Nothing inherently wrong with a bit of puzzlement in prose. Besides, some of the old "rules" can seem inane anyway. :>)

Subject: RE: BS: ARGH! Wot's going on at the Grauniad ?
From: Llanfair
Date: 22 Apr 01 - 05:01 AM

I'm peeved that there is no more Dulcie Domum, and that they have extended the fashion gardening section. Not being into decking or painting everything purple, it's of no use to me!!!
Cheers, Bron.

Subject: RE: BS: ARGH! Wot's going on at the Grauniad ?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 22 Apr 01 - 07:34 AM

~Ah, where is that old Hack Gervase when we need him....

Well he smells like an old hack.....! (sorry G....)

I liked the Grauniad, don't read any now, unless they are free and being read by someone else on the Tube.... I once went through it with a red pen and found over 300 errors before I got to the middle pages. Sad or what?!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: ARGH! Wot's going on at the Grauniad ?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Apr 01 - 12:58 PM

But The Observer, the Guardian's Sunday sibling, does have a picture and a short interview with Utah Phillips in their colour ("Life") section today. (Unfortunately the website doesn't include the picture.)

Subject: RE: BS: ARGH! Wot's going on at the Grauniad ?
From: Bagpuss
Date: 22 Apr 01 - 01:18 PM

What really annoyed me was that they were making such a big noise about the glossy magazine and all the while it was just a disguise for the 10p price rise.

I can't complain too much though, as there was a good Nick Cave article.

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: BS: ARGH! Wot's going on at the Grauniad ?
From: Penny S.
Date: 22 Apr 01 - 01:39 PM

Good grief, I didn't notice the price rise! (bought several things at once) I've still got the same amount to recycle immediately, I think. I least they haven't put "The indispensable section" on the sport again, have they?

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: ARGH! Wot's going on at the Grauniad ?
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 23 Apr 01 - 03:40 AM

I've read it properly now - and it's still rubbish

Subject: RE: BS: ARGH! Wot's going on at the Grauniad ?
From: Gervase
Date: 23 Apr 01 - 04:01 AM

Can't say I like it muchly. And they had the darned cheek to trumpet the fact that their had "eight sections!!" on Saturday.
One of the things I Iiked about the Saturday Guardian was that it wasn't a great bloated thing, like the ludicrous Telegraph (now there's a weird paper - the Saturday mag full of fatuous aspirational crap aimed at 20-somethings in Notting Hill in the front half, and ads for incontinence pads, stairlifts and eternally-expanding gussets in the back half). Now they've gone down that road, and filled most of the sections with aspirational crap aimed at... Dear Lord, deliver us from the curse of "lifestyle journalism" - to paraphrase Frank Zappa, it's people with no taste of their own interviewing people with bad taste for people who'll buy any taste, as long as it makes them look slightly more lah-di-dah than their ghastly neighbours.
But what are the alternatives on a Saturday? Other than not buying a newspaper at all, of course - but then there'd be no opportunity to rant at Julie Birchill.

Subject: RE: BS: ARGH! Wot's going on at the Grauniad ?
From: Ringer
Date: 23 Apr 01 - 04:15 AM

The Guardian has not been the same paper since Richard Boston's Boston on Beer column was dropped.

Subject: RE: BS: ARGH! Wot's going on at the Grauniad ?
From: Les from Hull
Date: 23 Apr 01 - 07:23 AM

Yes, don't buy a newspaper - it only encourages them. I'm happy with my combination of Teletext, Internet, Radio Times and Private Eye.