News on the Web

A bit more on the theme of sites that, in my opinion, are well worth a visit on the web. I suggest having a look at the website of what I consider to be the finest newspaper in the world - the New York Times. The site is at: http://www.nytimes.com/

Lest I be accused of disloyalty, let me say that The Times of London is not the newspaper it once was. It has been sadly degraded under Murdoch control. There has been a coarsening of the writing and there’s a lot of ‘in your face’ sub editing which, alas, fits with the tabloid format. This is even more true of the garishly coloured Sunday Times where half the articles seem to have been written by graduates or dropouts from the Jeremy Clarkson School of Journalism. Our other serious nationals have their merits, notably the positioning of The Guardian and The Independent (though I wish this would alter its single topic front page). Personally, my daily papers are The Birmingham Post (always) and The Daily Telegraph (most days). The Post is essential for Birmingham news and has an outstanding website at: http://www.birminghampost.net/

My usual choice of national daily surprises friends who know my position on the political spectrum. Let me explain. You have to know how to use the Telegraph. You need to use the editorials sparingly if at all although the economic comment can be entertaining, quaintly monetarist as it is. You soon get to know which of the opinion articles are the most poisonous and can chew safely on the remaining occasional mushroom. Have a laugh at the odd slanted report cast in touchingly artless terms attempting to cull Lib-Dem votes. Then have another laugh (as intended this time) at Matt’s cartoons - the best there are. Then you’re left with 80-85% of the paper which has very good reportage and concise writing. That’s the way to do it. And it’s still a broadsheet - and yes, packaging and print size do matter.

Personally I think newspapers should ditch their editorials and opinion pieces and just use blog sites if these individuals want to pontificate - just like you and me! Their sense of self importance, however, will no doubt forbid. My ideal would be national printed BBC type newspaper. Here I mean the BBC as it was before the messing about with hideous and hideously expensive, cod managerialism took hold.

Meanwhile we’re back to the New York Times. What’s so good about it? Writing, journalism and coverage for three things. A reporting staff of 1100 or so is less then there once were but it’s so much better than the competition. So is the writing - informed, serious minded, usually fairly detached and in a style of English (take no note of the occasional irrelevant spelling difference) that has been consistently good for decades and reminds me of how good our own Times once was. It’s polite too - none of the coarseness we often have to endure here. And, I almost forgot, the tone is liberal! Coverage is immense so if it’s international or, for that matter, just European news you are interested in you’ll probably find more in the New York Times than our nationals.

You can sample NYT journalism this in printed form (at the rather high price of £1.30) in issues of The International Herald Tribune (which is the New York Times abroad, with extensive international coverage) available in the City Centre or at Solihull newsagents. The IHT also has a good website at http://www.iht.com/

If you are in the United States (plunging pound permitting) you might also like the size of the paper - almost broadsheet in length but narrower - a bit like a stretched Guardian. So there you have the essence of it - hope you enjoy as much as I do.