Time to take out the tabloid trash
While shocked by the suffering caused to many people by the antics of the News of The World and its phone hacking scandals – The Haze wonders if there might be a good outcome to this after all.
Let’s say plainly what most of us already know about tabloid newspapers in this country – they are in the main worthless rags.
In this instance the News of the World has over stepped the mark and been caught out – but the gutter press have been walking a very fine line between legal muck raking and outright illegality for decades – by doing so, they adroitly avoid any consequences and pump out an endless stream of negative coverage that plays on the worst aspects of human nature.
The trash tabloids are not just the celeb baiting comics like the News of The World – papers with huge circulations like The Daily Mail and the Daily Express are also awful papers. They are very clever at writing basically racist articles without over-stepping the line and being actually unlawful.
If it isn’t racism its hatred – with a clutch of regular targets like benefits claimants, immigrants, single mothers, working class people, Muslims and trades unions.
If it isn’t hatred then its fear – with lurid headlines stoking up people’s anxieties about crime, immigration, young people and the economy.
The tabloid press in this country (we exclude the new ‘i’ of course) are a powerful obstacle to progress in any direction – playing off the most base fears and prejudices - increasing ignorance, class / racial hatreds and fear.
So perhaps the troubles of the embattled News of the World might be a good thing in the end.
Lets hope for the best!
Perhaps this will be a wake up call to the nation and the astonishing support that the gutter tabloids receive from both advertisers and readers will start to diminish.
Perhaps we will finally get a review of the failed and toothless Press Complaints Commission which has shown time and again that is not fit for its task.
Perhaps the decision to allow Rupert Murdoch’s News International to take over BSkyB can be stopped (not too late to protest - join the avaaz campaign here)
Perhaps at the very least the News of the World can be dumped in the garbage where it belongs.
Here is a headline we would love to see here at Sodium Haze:
‘Muck raking tabloids dumped en-masse by the nation’
wouldn’t that be great!
Great article. One paper I would like to add is the Daily Telegraph. It gets by on a reputation as a heavyweight paper and one people can trust but it is a disguise for pro-Conservative bias and right-wing views. The fact that they refuse to accept any wrong doing in the sacking of Vince Cable is disgraceful and the paper regularly publishes articles trying to condemn liberals. Don’t believe the Telegraph.
Oh and the NOTW has been discontinued… for now. Any thoughts?
We wouldn’t believe The Telegraph if it said it was printed on paper.
As for the news about the NOTW…
We are astonished – delighted!! It has the feel of the fall of the Berlin Wall about it.
It just shows that these damn monoliths can be brought down – maybe now our politicians will have the gumption to stand up to News International – a development which is way way overdue.
I agree and could not be more then delighted at the NOTW going under but I have a feeling that News International will just publish a Sunday version of the Sun. Also, they have managed to shift all the blame away from the top players to the lowlier journalists proving that Murdoch and his crew will happily sell out their own if it means they can get what they want. The loss of the paper may help their bid to buy the rest of BSKYB being as they can cite a loss of a paper as a loss of their power.
I am under no illusion that this isn’t over yet. As one person said: We have only cut off one of the hydra’s heads.
Those are wise words Peter.
I suspect that dissolving the NOTW may limit NI legal exposure as well – so its the smart move all round.
I just hope that the sheer force of the people power shown in this case will encourage others to stand up to the tabloids – particularly the UK political class.
Amen to that statement. It shows that the people can make changes if they use their power. Time to get the buyout of BSKYB by News International blocked. Then we could move on to banning the rest of the News International Publications.
Not sure if that is a generous tribute Muscles or a crafty put down!
Anyway – just for once Digger is on the run. I hear £1 billion has been wiped off BSkyB shares by this whole debacle and I can’t see the takeover happening now – not when the PM is struggling to distance himself from News International anyway.