12.6. Discussion Topics.

What do you know about the British press?

Most foreigners seem to have a bad image of the British press, thanks to the reputation of the ‘tabloid newspapers’, that is, the more sensationalist type of newspaper that has a smaller format than the more serious papers (the ‘broadsheets’). What is seldom mentioned is that Britain sells an enormous amount of newspapers to just about everyone, of every social class and background.

 

What are the names of the famous newspapers?

The Sun is by far the most popular newspaper in the country. It is more than just a newspaper. It could be described as a British institution, or even a way of life. The Sun claims to represent the views of the common people, and caters for their tastes. As a result the stories tend to be about celebrities, scandals, football, sex, television, the lottery and stories about working class people. There are many other similar tabloids: The Mirror and the Star, which are more or less copies of the Sun with the same content and pictures of topless women; and the Mail, and the Daily Express, which are basically the same without the interesting photos.

 

What kind of reputation does the British press have in your country? What adjectives could you use to describe them?

This side of the British press deserves the rotten reputation that it has. The negative adjectives could include: scandalous, sensationalist, sleazy, vulgar, infamous, hypocritical, shameful, disgraceful, dull, boring, and predictable. Those in favour of this type of paper will argue that they offer support for good causes, are funny, charitable, chirpy, informative, and light-hearted.

 

Are people reading papers that reflect and represent their opinions; or do they just have those opinions because they have read about them in the newspapers?

This is a highly debatable area, as we have to think about where our opinions come from. If someone tells me something interesting, that later becomes an opinion of my own, how am I to know that they didn’t read it in the Daily Express? Whatever your conclusion, it is certain that the media enormously influences public opinion., or even completely controls it. There are certainly many people in Britain who are only capable of talking about what they’ve read in the papers.

 

Why is this type of newspaper so popular in Britain, but not in all the rest of Europe? Which tabloid papers are available in your country? Europe seems to have very differing tastes in newspapers. Some counties have well-established sensationalist tabloids such as Paris Match, and France Dimanche in France, Bild, Bundte, and Stern, in Germany; yet in Spain, surprisingly, there is no successful tabloid. (The highest selling daily is the sports paper Marca.) Why this is could depend on a number of factors; differing consumer habits, previously established magazine publications that deal with the same material, the success of marketing campaigns or distribution, etc. 

 

What is the most scandalous publication? Do you remember any particularly outstanding headlines?

There have been many notable tabloid headlines in Britain. ‘Gotcha’, a contraction of the phrase ‘We’ve got you,’ (meaning ‘we’ve caught you,’ and usually associated with children’s games and sports) was the most famous Sun headline of all time, after an Argentine ship was attacked and sunk killing 300 people. ‘If Kinnock wins today, will the last one out of Britain please turn the lights out’, was another. Neil Kinnock was the Labour party candidate standing in an election against Margaret Thatcher.

Being offensive about other European countries is a speciality. When Jacques Delors and the European Commission disagreed with the British on European policy The Sun shouted ‘Up yours, Delors!’ (‘Up yours,’ is an insult that doesn’t contain a swearword and rhymes with the Frenchman’s name.

In fact the French are usually the tabloid’s victims. They were once described as ‘Britain's old enemy, a nation of unshaven beret-wearing peasants riding bicycles, smoking vile cigarettes and carrying strings of onions’.

Periodically, one of the tabloids starts a campaign to stop its readers buying European products such as French apples or beef. The Germans and the Spanish are also the tabloid ‘enemy’ too, especially when there is an important football match about to take place. ‘We’ve beaten the Germans in 1918, 1945 and 1966,’ (two World Wars and one World Cup) The Sun told us.

 

There have been many memorable but less important headlines too. ‘Freddy Starr (a British comedian) ate my hamster,’ was one that captured the public imagination and sold a lot of papers.

‘The church says yes to vicars and knickers’ was the headline when the church decided to accept women priests.

 

Describe the press in general in your country? How much power should the press really have? A look at media moguls such as Rupert Murdoch, and Silvio Berlisconi, who not only control newspapers, television and TV channels, but are also involved in politics, should be enough to stimulate a lengthy debate on the power of the press, conspiracy theories, the freedom of speech and how democratic the democratic process really is.

 

How much sex and violence should be put into the papers in your opinion?

Newspapers are basically a distraction. They have filtered, skewed news which is all virtually variations of the mainstream syndicated political line. Small papers don't have the resources to pay top investigative reporters and simply buy their news from agencies. The agencies are managed by enormous corporations that have a very narrow, strict way of presenting news, made to look balanced and liberal. It isn't. It is the ideology of a tiny minority of rich and ultra-right wing interests. Countries at the top of the terrorism league such as the U.S. and the United Kingdom are presented as the noble civilizing influence in the world. Less fortunate nations and poorer people are represented as rogues and criminals.