Irish newspapers

First off- I am not a fan of the Irish newspapers. There are not any papers in Ireland that I think have the information that I am looking for and have a balanced view on issues. I will occasional read the Irish Times (The Ticket) but I just do not like the style of reporting for most of the columnists. Perhaps it’s just the style of journalism in this country that I don’t like. I cannot read the Sunday Business Post either since it is really written for Irish business men and the tv/radio adds for that paper will have me reaching for the remote lighting quick so I do not have to hear it. The only positive thing about the paper is the Agenda section and in particular Nadine O’Regan who often has an informative article about differing subjects. I will also look at the Book World and the Sunday Book Review when I have the time but it could be months before I actually get a chance to read any of the books that sound interesting. I should read the New Yorker more often but I usually forget to check that one. When I was back in the States I would read the Washington Post and will occasionally read it online but with all newspapers being blocked in work that is not very often. The only paper that I will occasionally look at in work is LeMonde but it does take a bit longer for me to read so don’t do that too often.

When it comes to tabloids 'despise' is the only word that is appropriate! The journalists that write for them will sensationalize anything and it is more than just annoying. They are not just a dog with a bone but more like a rotweiller with a childs head…maybe an extreme description but one that shows my utter distaste for those papers. Unfortuntately in todays society is getting difficult to not to ignore them as I use to be able to. Every street seems to have a newspaper cart with the headlines emblazoned on it. With the proliferation of Metro and HeraldAM as well there is no way to escape it really. I will admit that I buy one tabloid on a weekly basis but that is only because the tv guide has all of the free satellite stations that I watch listed in one area. (BBC1-4,ITV1-4 and Film4) I take the guide out and the paper goes straight into recycling.

So that leaves me with reading the Economist. I have read this off and on since college and I still think it is the only publication out there that has a balanced approach to world news and affairs. With no bylines you never know who wrote the articles so any egos are out of the way and they just get on with reporting the news. It may be a bit high minded at times but I think they have an excellent coverage of European affairs and have the mix right for the socio political issues that are going on at the moment. So maybe I have pigeon-holed myself into getting my news from one source but it is somebody I can trust!