Why is the British press so Tory?

[malumbu]

You expect it of the Mail and the Telegraph. Probably the Times to. And of course the Sun for the last 30 years.

The Indie and Guardian clearly have more liberal views, and the Mirror being an inferior comic to the Sun, will maintain its labour views for generations.

But why with around a third of voters likely to vote Conservative, and perhaps only ever maxing out at 40%, are our most of our daily papers so rabidly Tory. I peeped at the Telegraph letters the other day and was not surprised that many were very pro-Tory; but let's face it there is little doubt who most Telegraph readers will vote for. However in a lefty leaning metropolis, well at least this side of Penge, WTF is the Standard so pro-Tory?

[Jeremy]

I'd say you need to look at who owns the papers, as well as what sort of demographic still buys physical newspapers.

[Loz]

Guardian is left wing (used to be liberal, though - wish they'd change back). The Indy is liberal, centrist-left. The FT is pretty apolitical.

But, as Jeremy said, it comes down to what sells. Even though the Guardian has the left broadsheet market to itself and the Indy the centrist-liberal broadsheet market, both of them combined sell a fraction of either the Times or Telegraph alone. For the tabloids, the unashamedly Labour-supporting Mirror is way behind in sales to the Sun and the Mail. Worth noting that the Sun has supported both Tories and Labour in recent history.

But most newspapers are losing circulation anyway. At this rate, most will disappear in hard copy form in about 10 years. Hardly surprising, given the growth in phones & tablets. Who is going to pay ?1.50 for last nights news when you can get up-to-the minute stuff online for free?

[lance_elot]

Yes i noticed the Evening Standard is very right-wing leaning nowadays and has endorsed a right wing candidate to become the next Mayor of London.

The owner of Evening Standard also owns The Independent newspapers, his name is Evgeny Lebedev and he is a Russian Oligarch with business interests in Hotels and Restaurants, what better way to plug your own business's then by owning the Media?

He is also a strong pro-Royalist and bows and scraps to anything with a title.

As tensions rise with Russia, i think he is trying to become more British than the British! its a good business tactic...

[Bovine Juice]

The Standard has always been pro-Tory. They hated Ken and during the last mayoral contest between him and Boris had a field day with lies, fibs and untruths all over their billboards every day to try to undermine his campaign.

But it goes way back. Bob Maxwell, who was no saint obviously, set up the London Daily News to try to counter balance the right wing arguments with some pro-Labour stories during one election in the 80s.

[Otta]

malumbu Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> well at least this side of Penge

Change that to Beckenham. Penge is Labour. Although unfortunately part of a Tory borough.

[malumbu]

Younger readers will not recall the dirty tricks employed by the then Evening Standard to stop the Maxwell paper gettng a foothold. Younger readers will also be stunned by Londoners actually paying for an evening paper.

Still odd that a relatively cosmopolilitan capital would buy a rabid evening paper. Those of you buying the Times, Telegraph etc are probably that way leaning but wouldn't generally get the Guardian or Indie.

[Bic Basher]

Evgeny Lebedev also owns the London Live tv channel.

[JohnL]

Bic Basher Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Evgeny Lebedev also owns the London Live tv

> channel.

unwatchable - full of London's Burning repeats :)

[DuncanW]

As a straight comparison, I think that the Standard is less right-wing now under it's current ownership than the previous.

Not that that is saying much!

[MissMadMoo]

As far as i'm aware, the Evening Std is owned by same groups as Daily Mail (assoc. press)...

which of course explains its right wing leanings

[JohnL]

Sold to "former KGB agent" Alexander Lebedev now :)

edit: - thats a Wiki quote above - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Lebedev

[uncleglen]

London Live- and Ali G repeats!

[fortified]

Me, on occasion.

I do the crossword (just the right level of difficulty for the evening), then use it to line the cat tray. The Guardian lost out to the Torygraph when it sacked off broadsheet format.

I may read some news but only because I've already paid for it.

Loz Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Who is going to

> pay ?1.50 for last nights news when you can get

> up-to-the minute stuff online for free?

[maxxi]

Loz Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Who is going to

> pay ?1.50 for last nights news when you can get

> up-to-the minute stuff online for free?

Me also I'm afraid. I don't have a smart-phone or tablet and any interwebbing I do is via a notebook or pc.

I also like the feel and warmth of newsprint (my own that is, not some virus-laden, snot-covered copy of Metro lying on a train seat) and, coincidentally, often read the Torygraph. I like the format and as long as I KNOW and remain AWARE that I'm reading the news projected from a certain political viewpoint it isn't a problem. A lot of the writing is funnier and more 'readable' than the Guardian and less beige than the Independent.

[Loz]

The number of dead tree buyers is still in serious decline...

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/apr/10/national-daily-newspapers-lose-more-than-half-a-million-readers-in-past-year

[tfwsoll]

Loz Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Who is going to

> pay ?1.50 for last nights news when you can get

> up-to-the minute stuff online for free?

What you get on line are soundbites - which is fine if you just want headlines but you getter more in depth analysis in the dead tree editions, which is probably why people buy them?

I remember the London Daily News as they had a competition where they would pay off your mortgage if you won. I got a second prize of ?500 (I think) which I mainly splashed out on a decent stereo and vinyl.

[Loz]

tfwsoll Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Loz Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Who is going to

> > pay ?1.50 for last nights news when you can get

> > up-to-the minute stuff online for free?

>

> What you get on line are soundbites - which is fine if you just want headlines but you getter

> more in depth analysis in the dead tree editions, which is probably why people buy them?

That's not true - the Indy and Guardian have all their printed stories in entirety on-line (usually many hours before they are printed), bolstered by rolling updates. The Guardian often has more in-depth analysis online than they do in their print editions.

The Times and Telegraph do much the same, but behind a paywall.

[tfwsoll]

>That's not true - the Indy and Guardian have all their printed stories in entirety on-line (usually many hours before they are printed), bolstered by rolling updates. The Guardian often has more in-depth analysis online than they do in their print editions. The Times and Telegraph do much the same, but behind a paywall.

I stand corrected! I find it hard to read long tracts of text on-line so I prefer paper