kingandy: (Default)
kingandy ([personal profile] kingandy) wrote2004-11-04 09:35 am

The News

A selection of today's front pages.  It's quite illuminating in terms of how the UK presses view - and report - the events of the moment.  (Not particularly impressed with the archive viewing option on that page, it tells me 16 November 2003 is in the future.  Stupid.)

I've arranged these headlines in a sort of spectrum, starting with the (apparently) unbiased reporting and moving down towards sensationalism.  I'm particularly proud of The Sun's important issue of the day - OMG WILL YOUNG HAS BEEN BURGLED.  For those who live outside the United Kingdom, Will Young is a nice young man who sings to entertain the children.  In his spare time he rescues kittens from trees and old ladies from burning buildings.  He can bend steel in his bare hands[1] and his penis hangs somewhere around his knees I'm lying.

Why is the Financial Times the most unbiased news organ of the day?

FINANCIAL TIMES: "Bush retains the White House"
THE TIMES: "Four more years"
DAILY TELEGRAPH: "Bush returned in triumph"
DAILY MAIL: "MARCH OF THE MORAL MAJORITY"
GUARDIAN: "And now ... four more years"
THE INDEPENDENT: "FOUR MORE YEARS" (with some excellent pictures of Bush's reign)
DAILY MIRROR: "How can 59,017,382 people be so DUMB?"
THE SUN: "WILL YOUNG BURGLED" (also: "Why the long face?" - Kerry)
DAILY EXPRESS: "SCROUNGERS IN PARADISE"
DAILY STAR: "FAMILY FROM HELL PUT IN £700 A WEEK HOTEL ... and YOU pay for it" (also: "SOPHIE shows her sex a-peel"

I was a little unsure how to grade those last three, but the Sun at least makes passing mention of the election, and the Daily Express doesn't actually have a semi-naked woman on the front page, so I got them sorted out eventually.

[1] Not to be confused with Ben Steel And His Bear, Hans, an imaginary comic book.

UPDATE: Link now works. Livejournal filters out javascript, it seems.

[identity profile] black-faery.livejournal.com 2004-11-04 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
I think my favourite is the Daily Mirror one...

[identity profile] arwel.livejournal.com 2004-11-04 01:59 am (UTC)(link)
It's funny because it's true.

[identity profile] kermix.livejournal.com 2004-11-04 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
To be closer to fair, slightly more than half true.

I proudly represent the somewhat-immoral barely-minority.

[identity profile] kermix.livejournal.com 2004-11-04 02:25 am (UTC)(link)
I didn't confuse them, I simply didn't do my math homework because I'm sick today.

[identity profile] ed-fortune.livejournal.com 2004-11-04 03:06 am (UTC)(link)
OMG! Someone has stolen WillyYoungs songs. Oh tragedy. No mentionof the the President of Afghanistan I notice.

[identity profile] ed-fortune.livejournal.com 2004-11-04 03:32 am (UTC)(link)
We should start a campaign to sex up world leaders. I wonder if Arafat will wear a thong and sing some Abba covers?

[identity profile] mrssshhh.livejournal.com 2004-11-04 03:58 am (UTC)(link)
The Daily Mail should be burned and it's readers shot.

[identity profile] arwel.livejournal.com 2004-11-04 11:29 am (UTC)(link)
Make me president for life and I shall make it happen.

[identity profile] wulfboy.livejournal.com 2004-11-04 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
I for one appreciate the effort you have gone to, and would be intrigued to see this become a regular feature of [livejournal.com profile] kingandy: all the best current-affairs programs do a round up on the newspapers.

I hope that Will Young is alright.