What do people think of the government’s message wrapping every newspaper today?

[Rollergirl11]

In all shops today

[fascinated]

Wow, I didn’t even see the @ in the house thing til I read this thread. God, what a mess. Simplistic, patronising, achingly trendy but useless waste of money.

[lljkk]

Another reason not to buy a newspaper, then.

[Newyearnewarse]

It looks like the government have decided to support the newspaper industry by the back door by agreeing to advertise with them on a regular basis through this.

Newspaper sales are through the floor at the moment and they will be relying on this to keep them going.

Stinks a bit to me!

[MorrisZapp]

Nowt wrong with it. Shops are allowed to be open and loads of non essential stuff is allowed to be sold. I bought a scented candle yesterday and last week I got socks for my DS.

The paper is arguably much more essential than those things, as it keeps us informed in a time of crisis.

The usual whataboutery and yes but nonsense on here of course.

[notalwaysalondoner]

I do think if the target audience is the old people who walk to the shop every day for a paper they could have actually used the words “stay at home” instead of a trendy @ symbol thing that takes a few seconds to figure out what it’s supposed to say. Pretty sure my 98 year old grandmother wouldn’t understand it...

[cologne4711]

I do think if the target audience is the old people who walk to the shop every day for a paper

I still don't understand why this is a problem. Shops are open, newspapers are for sale, people are allowed out for exercise. So they go for a walk and pick up the newspaper while they are out. In the same way I have been out several times since this started, walked via the shops, and bought a few items while I've been there.

Driving somewhere for the sole purpose of getting a newspaper is not so great but then you may not live anywhere close enough to walk or cycle to.

[Cary2012]

Now I don't know whether to iron my newspaper or cook it in the oven. Perhaps both? Think I'll continue washing it on a boil wash and hanging the sheets on the line, before spraying it in Zoflora in case the neighbour 12 metres away sneezed this week.

[noblegiraffe]

Newspapers are printed and collated without anyone touching them. If you discard the outside page, the insides will be fine.

[QuimJongUn]

@Cary2012 amateur. Everyone knows to be on the safe side you need to burn newspapers before reading them.

[Cary2012]

@QuimJongUn

[RUSU92]

All those saying that older people might not know what the @ symbol means... you do realise that it existed long before email?! And meant ‘at’ the whole time?! We didn’t invent it, we just repurposed it.

Well before email, if someone wanted to work out the price of several items or, for example, to put their mileage into their accounts, they would have written 175 miles @ 45p

It’s patronising and embarrassing to assume that older people don’t know what an @ symbol means.

[QuimJongUn]

@RUSU92 absolutely. There's a nasty streak of ageism on MN lately.

[Abbccc]

I think they should have spell out AT HOME instead of the @ looking like a house,

[daisypond]

It’s patronising and embarrassing to assume that older people don’t know what an @ symbol means.
People generally haven’t said that older people don’t know what it means. You’re jumping to conclusions. They’ve said it’s not clear, or some people might not understand - all of which is true.

[roundturnandtwohalfhitches]

My Mum bought a paper every day before she was in lockdown. She wouldn't know what the @ symbol meant. She's 80. I think it's a huge waste of money. They are fiddling while Rome burns.
They'll be giving away nice shiny badges with your newspaper next.

[BarbaraofSeville]

Its also patronising and ageist to assume that only old people buy newspapers.

i'm very far from old and I like a Times on a Saturday for the TV and arts section, Caitlin Moran etc and the travel pages. It's nice to not read on a screen for once and if you buy it online, you don't get all the sections.

I don't want to consume my news in a series of video clips that take about 2 minutes to load up and present the information I could read in about 30 seconds.

[OldLace]

Ariella
The newspaper used to be ironed in 'good houses' because the ink used at the time was liable to transfer easily from the paper, via warm fingers, onto expensive clothing. Less of an issue if you were wearing a leather apron / hessian work smock / servants black dress (and you were less likely to have time to sit around reading a broadsheet anyway).
But more of an issue if you were wearing cream linen shirt sleeves / a pale or floral silk day dress.
Inks that didn't transfer so easily under warm fingers only came in in the 1970's.

[ChrissieKeller61]

Fiddling whilst Tome burns sums it up. I was watching titanic with my 10 year old the other day and he said that collection of bad decisions could never happen now could it ... not so sure actually

[Nixby3]

That this government wastes too much of out money - all the Brexit advertising, those letters from Boris and now this. FFS.

Do people really think the government is paying the newspapers for advertising space?? Obviously the government press got together with the press and they co-ordinated this.

I don't see what the problem is tbh. Lots of people buy newspapers and for those that don't it would still catch their eye.
It's paper not plastic.
We are 'allowed' to buy a paper - some people get it delivered so they're not even going out.
It's reinstating the message at a point when people's resolve is starting to weaken.

Some people just love to find ways to criticise the government! (I have never voted conservative)

[Nixby3]

Sorry NAK
That should read government press office got together with the press houses

[MyHipsDontLieUnfortunately]

My FIL keeps asking me to buy the DM. It's a no from me, but I'm sure that if he could he'd be out buying it daily.

[shamalidacdak]

Brilliant love it!

[Rollergirl11]

* Do people really think the government is paying the newspapers for advertising space?? Obviously the government press got together with the press and they co-ordinated this.*

Of course they are!!!

[Easilyanxious]

Surely the newspapers wouldn't if charged the government to put this on their papers though at this time ?

[Rollergirl11]

A full wrapping on every individual title covering up their own front pages with something identical, why would they agree to it for free?