The Times newspaper is left wing

[Thatsenoughcoffee]

The Times has been moving to the left for years. They’re trying to compete with The Guardian as much as The Telegraph. They try to reflect the politics of the middle and governing classes which veer left.

It’s a high quality publication, but as a conservative I read it knowing there will be many left-wing writers whose opinions I disagree with. Hugo Rifkind is one example.

The news stories also veer left - for instance the recent attack on the finances of the Royal Family which was carried out in conjunction with Channel 4. There is also a lot of focus on Gaza and not much support for Israel.

My feed on X by contrast is properly right wing. And also low status.

AIBU to think The Times is left wing?

instance the recent attack on the finances of the Royal Family which was carried out in conjunction with Channel 4.
do you not enjoy factual reporting?
the horrors C4?!??!

The Times is not and has never been Left wing. Perhaps it's you who has shifted further to the Right @Thatsenoughcoffee.

The people that Boris purged from his party if they didn't buy his "Bumbling Boris the Clown" act. The people who believe in the UK's international obligations, who believe that trust is important and that "my word is my bond" that Honest Bob Jenrick likewise wanted to kick out of the party if he become Leader. The people who are small-c "conservative" and who are appalled that the mainstream party has morphed into UKIP and is seemingly moving towards a pact with the Reform mob of Farage and Lee Anderson - and who want nothing to do with them.

Once known as "wets" for the younger readers.

I have read the Times for many many years precisely because it was bang in the centre ground with quality journalism. I'd say that it has shifted to the right of late, as well as declining in quality due to the new editor and editorial policy. Loads of guff stories written up from press releases, loads of NIMBY type stuff, and the really concerted effort to sling mud at Labour post election. I skip through a lot these days rather than reading cover to cover. They have held on to some good byline/comment journalists at least - Janice Turner, Matthew Parris, Hugo Rifkind - which is why I still subscribe.

Best not read just the one paper.

Try The Times, Guardian and Telegraph on rotation.
Then you're getting a broad spectrum of opinions.

They've got to sell papers at the end of the day. It's a business.

The Times is owned by Rupert Murdoch.
Their coverage will be whatever suits the narrative that is in the Murdoch family's best interests. That will sometimes lean more right- or more left-wing but it will never be unbiased.

News/newspapers are not an unbiased public service. (Let’s ignore BBC)

The are for profit making ££ from sales and advertisers. Advertisers pay more for more readers. All your news/info feeds are closely linked to your preferences to keep u coming back. It’s almost farce.

If Times can get more readers by leaning left. Maybe getting younger readers then they will absolutely lean left.

Labour strong these days, Times wants those voters so they can make more £££

It’s healthy to at least skim sources across left/right, but I find too much making excuses or being too biased a read turn-off. Also when words are so obviously evasive or providing a legal “out” because the claims are crazy …

I like to fact check if I can.

Entirely agree with this. It's definitely moved more to the right of late, and more lightweight puff pieces. I'm largely still there for Janice.

I’m pretty sure that if The Times was left wing it wouldn’t make me so bloody angry.

I would say the Times is pretty centrist overall but has columnists and opinion pieces from both sides of the spectrum. Which is kind of what you'd want in a paper, no? So you're getting a balanced view?

I was a bit confused when you said, 'By contrast, my feed on X is properly right wing' - as you can't really compare a newspaper where you as a reader have no control over what's published, to a social media platform where you choose who to follow, so your feed will only contain posts from those people, as well as other posts decided by the algorithm based on your previous activity. They're totally different beasts aren't they?

The Times is my home and it's writers my family 😁

Not all of them, obviously. There's an American guy called Gerald something who is pro Trump. But there's a breadth of opinion which I like. The Guardian looks like a campus newspaper in comparison.

The Times is not left wing. What has happened is that the Overton Window has shifted so far to the right that what used to be the centre is now seen as far to the left.

I also appreciate that they know their demographic - all the lifestyle stuff is pitched at the middle aged. The Guardian pretends to be read by 22 year olds which is laughable.

If you see the Guardian as being as far left as the Mail is right, I'd say you skew quite aggressively right. The Guardian has always been a Liberal paper really (in the sense of the old British Liberal Party, not in a whatever the hell Americans mean when they use the word). It's not particularly left wing at all.

The Telegraph of 20 years ago was strongly right wing.

Edited by Charles Moore from 2003-2006, and with columnists including Mark Steyn, Barbara Amiel, Janet Daley, Melanie Philips.

But back then it was NeoCon, and now it’s UKIP/Reform.

I subscribe to Times online and like it. it does lean slightly right but has good contributors such as Caitlin Moran who might be seen as left leaning. Whilst at times it does show bias, by and large it is interested in good journalism.

The Times isn’t left wing. It is pretty much straight down the middle, pragmatic small c conservative and pro business although I think it’s marginally more liberal than it was but it has some commentators on the right.

A left winger would not identify it as a left wing publication. The average Guardian reader wouldn’t have it in the house.

I still can’t forgive Channel 4 for hosting the alternative Christmas Day message.

Off with their heads 😂

Matthew Paris is a raging leftie in my mind, especially now he’s pushing for assisted dying, though he was bang on in his poor estimation of BJ’s character.

I just can’t ever forgive The Guardian for pushing transgender ideology. I genuinely think it’s an evil publication.

Christ is there any media outlet you will forgive @Thatsenoughcoffee?

The Times newspaper is not left wing! I have the app and often the articles and in particular the comments below wind me up!
I'm a Labour supporter.

What is your definition of "high-status" and "low-status" people and do you think that equates to left-wing and right-wing respectively?

I agree with OP and I have subscribed to the times for a long time. There has been quite a shift to the left. Often the comments are far better and informative than the articles.

The Guardian disappeared up its own lefty backside years ago and surely it’s regarded as a joke.

Tried the telegraph and it is dying; too many puff pieces which really are just adverts for celebrities and their products. Comments section is full of nastiness.

I’m at a loss for good writing and comprehensive discussions.

I used to listen to times radio but find Asmaa Mir insufferable: her laughing at anything she finds difficult to discuss, how she finds Giles Coren so funny and her fawning of him is embarrassing. I got fed up listening to her proclaiming ‘I don’t understand’ when they have any cultural discussions. Her and Stig Abel’s contempt for Kemi Badendoch is personal, uncomfortable and shows their lack of impartiality. I like Ayesha Hazarika at the weekend.

I followed Matt Chorley to radio 5 as his replacement Hugo Rifkind is just a dumbed down version and not as good.