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Original poster

The Guardian: now kind of irrelevant?

147 replies

CrotchBurn · 31/01/2021 22:12

I mean with the online version. There used to be a time (only four or five years ago I'd say) where almost all articles were open for comment, and you could really get stuck into reading users' debates. You'd get some smart and informed posters discussing stuff in detail, it was really interesting.

Now it seems basically one out of every ten articles only ( if that) has comments enabled. There used to be a weekly thread where some posters even had their own little community. What's going on?! For a few years now it's felt like a proper ghost town.

To be honest the hounding of suzanne moore was the final nail in the coffin for me personally. But even putting that aside - you used to have these articles ("the UK is an evil place!", "why men should hate themselves!" Etc etc) but at least "below the line" was a laugh.

Anyone noticed the same?! Where else is good with an interesting collection of posters comments?

OP posts:
Childrenofthestones · 01/02/2021 05:28

I read the Guardian for over 20 yrs.
It's shite now.

LadyWithLapdog · 01/02/2021 05:34

Another MN thread bashing the Guardian.

Blessex · 01/02/2021 05:36

Where to go? The FT or the Times?

everybodysang · 01/02/2021 05:41

I still like it but I don't like the BTL comments anyway. I buy a newspaper for journalism.

A newspaper doesn't have to have 'all sides of the debate'. It's not a neutral space, it has an editorial line.

Original poster
CrotchBurn · 01/02/2021 05:45

@everybodysang

If you buy newspapers for journalism, what are you doing buying the Guardian? It's full of fluff, and that's been the case for about a decade now.

OP posts:
mrschocolatte · 01/02/2021 05:56

It’s the best of a really really bad bunch. I’m only interested in the sports, health and beauty and food sections. Does the job for me. Also, I hate comments. I could care less what other people think!

echt · 01/02/2021 06:09

@CrotchBurn

I mean with the online version. There used to be a time (only four or five years ago I'd say) where almost all articles were open for comment, and you could really get stuck into reading users' debates. You'd get some smart and informed posters discussing stuff in detail, it was really interesting.

Now it seems basically one out of every ten articles only ( if that) has comments enabled. There used to be a weekly thread where some posters even had their own little community. What's going on?! For a few years now it's felt like a proper ghost town.

To be honest the hounding of suzanne moore was the final nail in the coffin for me personally. But even putting that aside - you used to have these articles ("the UK is an evil place!", "why men should hate themselves!" Etc etc) but at least "below the line" was a laugh.

Anyone noticed the same?! Where else is good with an interesting collection of posters comments?

A consistent narrative on threads of bashing the Guardian lately. What's all that about? Hmm

I've been on MN for years and this is quite new.

I'll tell you. While not quite what it was, it is still free, which makes the right wing press shit themselves.

everybodysang · 01/02/2021 06:14

[quote CrotchBurn]@everybodysang

If you buy newspapers for journalism, what are you doing buying the Guardian? It's full of fluff, and that's been the case for about a decade now.[/quote]
That's your opinion. I am a journalist and I buy newspapers to support editorial journalism.

TheOtherBoelynGirl · 01/02/2021 06:22

"Another MN thread bashing the Guardian."

So start a thread saying how great it is then.

I used to buy it every day, now I won't even click on a link to it. Absolute horseshite for people who need to be told what to think.

I subscribe to The Times and find the comment section hilarious, I imagine the people getting very sweaty under the collar as they mash at their keyboards. Especially when they comment on celebrity stuff with 'what an absolute waste of space, is this news?!?!?!' Why are you reading it then?!

TheOtherBoelynGirl · 01/02/2021 06:26

"While not quite what it was, it is still free, which makes the right wing press shit themselves."

They aren't going to be able to be free for much longer, either they'll put up a paywall or they'll go under. They've made such a big thing about being free, but they have to beg for every last subscriber but don't get many anyway.

People need a reason to pay for something. I subscribe to the Times because I work through their archive of cryptic crosswords which is only available to subscribers. For me, that's worth the small amount I pay. The Guardian doesn't have anything like that that I'd bother subscribing for.

Original poster
CrotchBurn · 01/02/2021 06:28

@everybodysang

You think the hounding of Suzanne Moore makes the Guardian "free journalism"? That's the kind of editorial journalism you enjoy supporting, is it?

OP posts:
Original poster
CrotchBurn · 01/02/2021 06:29

And by the way I havent seen any threads on here bashing the Guardian. This wasnt even about bashing the G to start with, it was about the fascism at work in trying to control narrative by preventing people from expressing views in their click bait

OP posts:
TheOtherBoelynGirl · 01/02/2021 06:29

"You think the hounding of Suzanne Moore makes the Guardian "free journalism"? That's the kind of editorial journalism you enjoy supporting, is it?"

Of course it's not free journalism. If Owen Jones decided tomorrow that actually trans woman are trans women and that's fine, he'd be out of a job.

They all have to toe the party line. Fully expecting Hadley Freeman to go next, God knows why she's still there.

knitnerd90 · 01/02/2021 06:32

I remember the heyday of Comment Is Free--for every article where the comments were good, there were three that turned into a horror. I've noticed the decline in available comments and think it's down to not wanting to moderate. Certain topics (eg Middle East politics) have always been dicey and had comments strictly controlled.

Problem is, no good alternative. Never been a fan of the Times or the Telegraph.

mrschocolatte · 01/02/2021 06:33

@TheOtherBoelynGirl

"Another MN thread bashing the Guardian."

So start a thread saying how great it is then.

I used to buy it every day, now I won't even click on a link to it. Absolute horseshite for people who need to be told what to think.

I subscribe to The Times and find the comment section hilarious, I imagine the people getting very sweaty under the collar as they mash at their keyboards. Especially when they comment on celebrity stuff with 'what an absolute waste of space, is this news?!?!?!' Why are you reading it then?!

Each to their own. You don’t like it, fair enough. I do like it and just don’t feel the need to start a thread telling everyone why. People can make their own minds up. I don’t need or look for the good folk on here to tell me what I should or shouldn’t like.
TheOtherBoelynGirl · 01/02/2021 06:36

"Each to their own. You don’t like it, fair enough. I do like it and just don’t feel the need to start a thread telling everyone why. People can make their own minds up. I don’t need or look for the good folk on here to tell me what I should or shouldn’t like."

OK? Maybe internet discussion forums aren't for you? Because generally people will discuss things on here. If you aren't interested in the subject matter, I did hear that it's not strictly necessary to comment, but I could be wrong.

Sometimesonly · 01/02/2021 06:37

subscribe to The Times and find the comment section hilarious,
Agreed! I also dropped my Guardian subscription after decades. I don't miss it - or rather I don't miss what it has become.

SavannahMiasMum · 01/02/2021 06:40

Yahoo stopped it all as well. In general we are living in a world where opinions an£ comments are no longer allowed if we don’t agree that is

TomPinch · 01/02/2021 06:44

@everybodysang

I still like it but I don't like the BTL comments anyway. I buy a newspaper for journalism.

A newspaper doesn't have to have 'all sides of the debate'. It's not a neutral space, it has an editorial line.

True, but I think the G's editorial line has either changed or got stronger in the last little while, and that is what people are noticing.

I wonder if it is positioning itself as the leading progressive news and discussion outlet in English. There is a lot of American coverage that used not to be there, perhaps the plan is to be the anti-Fox. I remember reading that the American operation were particularly anti-Suzanne Moore.

knitnerd90 · 01/02/2021 06:53

Yes--the Guardian are heavily promoting themselves in the USA and Australia.

SaskiaRembrandt · 01/02/2021 06:54

The Guardian is awful; it's the Lib Dem equivalent of the Daily Mail.

Mango101 · 01/02/2021 06:56

I think it's amazing. And unique - seems to be the only truly liberal news source. And the only properly anti-Brexit one.

PinkyParrot · 01/02/2021 07:00

Wikipedia circulation numbers

Title 2020[10]
Metro 1,419,614
The Sun 1,206,595
Daily Mail 1,134,184
Evening Standard 787,447
Daily Mirror 441,934
The Times 359,960
Daily Express 289,679
Daily Star 274,808
i 215,932
Financial Times 155,009
The Guardian 126,879
Daily Record 103,222
City A.M. 85,73

Looking at this it is astounding that anyone expects the UK to be left wing.

TheOtherBoelynGirl · 01/02/2021 07:00

"And unique - seems to be the only truly liberal news source."

I wouldn't call it liberal by a long shot. They are left-leaning (in a champagne socialist kind of way - seems like 99% of them went to private school) but they certainly aren't liberal.

Blessex · 01/02/2021 07:02

I think that’s my issue with newspapers. They all have their own biased agenda. The guardian cannot comment on anything in an impartial way. Ditto others.

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