Wot no Grauniad?

[Guest]

I see that Kate Rushton has a Telegraph story about the various losses of GMG. Seems there's a possibility that the print version of the Guardian won't be around much longer, though Rusbridger denies it. We'll see.

There are some good articles, IMO, despite the left bias and despite my oft-expressed derision.

But what really got me was what I often saw as hypocrisy. I don't like champagne-swilling pseudo-socialists with big incomes who think themselves above the common herd. I prefer ditto Tories - at least they aren't hypocrites, whatever other faults they may have.

[jayne lee wilson]

I subscribe to the print version on a daily basis, and inter alia read most of the comment pages, letters, some sport and the G2.
From your last three sentences it's pretty clear that you don't.

[Thropplenoggin]

I subscribe to the print version on a daily basis, and inter alia read most of the comment pages, letters, some sport and the G2.
From your last three sentences it's pretty clear that you don't.

Private Eye has been covering this GMG/Rusbridger issue for years. They're quick to point the finger elsewhere but not at themselves i.e. rather than report about GMG, they'll report on the record number of hits they received this month. 'Rubbisher' has pushed the free digital platform at the expense of the print formats and has been dying to get rid of The Observer. How does the Eye know all this? The usual source - disgruntled hacks working at the paper.

Where the business model is in all this is anyone's guess. Churnalism, perhaps? There's been a lot of free PR for Apple in the past decade.

[Ferretfancy]

I've been a reader for many years, partly because the Guardian has always had the best writers although sometimes the insufferable middle class attitudes get on my wick. I live in an area infested with comfortably off young couples, mostly two car families with the second car used to convey the awful kids to school or take the labradors to the park. These are people in which the governing principle of life is anxiety. They worry about their houses, the local schools, their SUVs, parking etc. etc. without for one moment considering their good fortune, and I'm sorry to say that many of them read the Guardian.

Still, after reading the Guardian for three years you might become a reasonable cook, appreciate the films of Peter Greenaway, and after careful study of the women's pages get a respectable degree in gynaecology.

[gingerjon]

Nice to see the Telegraph whose owners domicile themselves off Sark where they pay no tax and stamp over that country's laws taking such an interest in UK tax issues.

[french frank]

The Telegraph seems to be on its own with this story:

"Recently, The Guardian revealed that 70 per cent of its revenues still come from print, which would appear to make ditching the print version of the titles a somewhat risky move, to be sure.

Having made some inquiries, I believe that at an “away day” on Monday, GNM executives did indeed look at one slide – among many spelling out different visions of the future – which gave the bleak picture of what a printless business model would look like in the predictable future.

I am told by someone present that the slide was considered for a matter of seconds and dismissed, merely proving what all present knew: digital-only is still way off in the future."

http://blogs.ft.com/tech-blog/2012/10/telegraph-vs-guardian/#axzz29dNKw9iB

I understand Conrad Black is to be on HIGNFY next week ...

[VodkaDilc]

As a regular Guardian reader, I note that they are still heavily promoting their subscription scheme - something I carefully resist, despite the financial incentives. I would miss The Guardian if it folded. I certainly would not read the online version; I suppose I'd take The Telegraph, which seems to be a decent paper, apart from its politics. It certainly seems to have a healthy circulation.

[gingerjon]

As a regular Guardian reader, I note that they are still heavily promoting their subscription scheme - something I carefully resist, despite the financial incentives. I would miss The Guardian if it folded. I certainly would not read the online version; I suppose I'd take The Telegraph, which seems to be a decent paper, apart from its politics. It certainly seems to have a healthy circulation.

All the newspapers are promoting subscription. There was 'a thing' about it on Radio 4 the other day about how guaranteed income streams are what they need (and fixed sales for advertisers) & so even local titles are plugging that model.

[Northender]

As a regular Guardian reader, I note that they are still heavily promoting their subscription scheme - something I carefully resist, despite the financial incentives. I would miss The Guardian if it folded. I certainly would not read the online version; I suppose I'd take The Telegraph, which seems to be a decent paper, apart from its politics. It certainly seems to have a healthy circulation.

I would be annoyed if I were standing in a crowded train carriage next to somebody reading a non-folding Guardian...

[amateur51]

The Telegraph seems to be on its own with this story:

"Recently, The Guardian revealed that 70 per cent of its revenues still come from print, which would appear to make ditching the print version of the titles a somewhat risky move, to be sure.

Having made some inquiries, I believe that at an “away day” on Monday, GNM executives did indeed look at one slide – among many spelling out different visions of the future – which gave the bleak picture of what a printless business model would look like in the predictable future.

I am told by someone present that the slide was considered for a matter of seconds and dismissed, merely proving what all present knew: digital-only is still way off in the future."

http://blogs.ft.com/tech-blog/2012/10/telegraph-vs-guardian/#axzz29dNKw9iB

I understand Conrad Black is to be on HIGNFY next week ...

From the horse's mouth as it were ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2012/oct/17/theguardian-dailytelegraph

Black's HIGNFY appearance will be fascinating - his history with Private Eye and Ian Hislop is long-standing and hardly amicable and my guess is that Hislop will be well-prepared, as will Black. But it will all come down to the final edit

[Flosshilde]

As a regular Guardian reader, I note that they are still heavily promoting their subscription scheme - something I carefully resist, despite the financial incentives.

I've been avoiding the subscription scheme too, but as a Co-op member I've recently had a special offer - six days of the guardian for £3.50 a week, which I will probably take up (if the offer hasn't expired - I must check. Such offers usually have by the time I do anything about them). I will still not get it on the Saturday though - that day seems to be the most heavily infested with the dreadful middle-class young trendy views Ferret refers to, & supplements like 'Work', 'Money', 'Family' & 'Travel' just so much waste paper.

[Thropplenoggin]

Still, after reading the Guardian for three years you might become a reasonable cook, appreciate the films of Peter Greenaway, and after careful study of the women's pages get a respectable degree in gynaecology.

[amateur51]

I've been avoiding the subscription scheme too, but as a Co-op member I've recently had a special offer - six days of the guardian for £3.50 a week, which I will probably take up (if the offer hasn't expired - I must check. Such offers usually have by the time I do anything about them). I will still not get it on the Saturday though - that day seems to be the most heavily infested with the dreadful middle-class young trendy views Ferret refers to, & supplements like 'Work', 'Money', 'Family' & 'Travel' just so much waste paper.

That does sound to be a tremendous offer Flossie - I hope you're in time.

I enjoy the Saturday Guardian main body plus the Review section - please could I buy that combination alone? I do so agree about all the other sherbert you're required to buy on a Saturday, and it's such a waste of carbon

[scottycelt]

As a formerly avid newspaper reader I stopped buying any (apart from an occasional Sunday Times) about five years ago. The umpteen TV news channels and the internet has now made them somewhat redundant as far as I'm concerned. All newspapers have sometimes wearying poltical bias and most were generally going downhill in quality anyway. Even the Financial Times is not quite the same quality paper it used to be.

However, despite its predictable stance on 'liberal' issues, I rather liked the Guardian. I can think of many other newspapers that I'd be less concerned about disappearing in print than the Guardian, and that includes the once-excellent Times, which has become just another tabloid rag, imo.

I'm also highly suspicious of one newspaper trumpeting the alleged difficulties of another, and consequently the actual veracity of the story, which I think ff may have been hinting (at) ...

[french frank]

I'm also highly suspicious of one newspaper trumpeting the alleged difficulties of another, and consequently the actual veracity of the story, which I think ff may have been hinting (at) ...

The story is going the rounds, but most seem to be reporting the Telegraph report.

I've only once written an article for the Graun and as I offered it to them I was quite surprised when, after publication, I had an email saying they wanted to pay me. I also had the option to donate the fee to their charitable educational project in Malawi.

An altogether excellent organ, in my view, so I do part company with the OP on this matter ...