Come on you Daily Mail supporters

Bags - it was just a bit of fun! I think there are many gransnetters who don't 'toe the line', whatever line you mean!

Perhaps I am still missing the point.

Whoever put the test together was being obvious surely!

I don't think the test was a valid comment on the DM.

That it was obvious. The DM is not noted for its subtlety.

What was?

I think that was the point Petallus

Sel do you think that posting pictures of people accused of murder on the front page of a newspaper, labelling them killers, before they have been found guilty is a good thing generally?

The test to see if the DM hates you was was silly and embarrassingly obvious.

Odd really, but my 2+ years' membership of gransnet has given me more exposure to the DM than I'd had in the rest of my life put together. Can't say it's an improvement.

Don't give a rat's fart whether the DM hates me or not. I expect it would. I expect the Grauniad would too, were it asked.

Because I refuse to toe the line. Whatever "the line" happens to be. Prefer to think for myself.

I did this on a thread in the other place and was amazed to be hated so quickly.

I got away with being a woman (just disliked), and I do not look in the least like a muslim, and I am hetrosexual - but I am not married and I don't have a job, so I am proud to say the DM hates me!

grannyactivist some of us remember this saga - another nasty and shameful example of the press intruding into private tragedy.

Most atheists I know (and I know a lot!) were brought up by parents who at least paid lip service to Christianity and were sent to Church schools.
Blair's father was a Conservative - oh no, so was he!

I agree that it's about decency. I agree that the victims of press libel and other reporter nastiness think punishment of offenders comes too late.

A life term for murder doesn't deter murder either.
Jail terms for robbery and bodily harm don't deter those crimes.
Good grief, death sentences don't deter some of it!

Of course the law doesn't prevent all journalistic depradations. The same applies to all other human evil and badness.

None of this justifies the censorship of freedom of speech either in the press or anywhere else.

And none of the above means I don't sympathise with victims of press depradations.

I think it does mean that people have not detached their perfectly natural feelings from the principle at stake.

The thing is Sel that both Milibands have often said how disappointed their father would have been that they had moved as far to the right as the Labour party. I really don't think you can assume that people automatically adopt the views of their parents. Goodness me, if that were the case I would be a Tory!

Sel. I know.

I have just written a very long response to Bags based upon my own first hand experience of the press - and somehow lost it at the point of posting.

In brief:
Winning libel damages when lies and distortions have been published has the same effect as shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. The damage has already occurred and no amount of money, no two lines of apology on page 27 or wherever, can take the lies back or undo the heartache and distress caused.
I know this from painful experience. The law, as it stands, is not an effective deterrent and I have no faith in a self regulated press.

j08 it was the DM who pictured the suspects in the Stephen Lawrence case under the headline 'Killers' and invited them to sue. They were instrumental in getting justice for the Lawrence family.

Aka Ok, I'm hated apparently.

"Anyone remember Stephen Lawrence? "

Err yes. I think we might do.

You don't need to know what a politician's father did or didn't say or do. No-one is that influenced by their parents.

try this

Quite agree with you thatbags about censorship of the press, dangerous and not required. I want to know what our masters are up to and if the press libels anyone, there is redress in law.

If Ed Milliband wishes to govern this country he would expect his background to be gone over with a fine tooth comb. That's politics. You dish it, you take it. He knows that and all this righteous indignation from the Left with Alistair Campbell on lead vocals is hypocrisy, we all know that.

No problem with the Left seizing the opportunity to grab the sanctified moral high ground, distressed and shocked at the DM. The Right would have pulled the same trick had The Guardian attacked Cameron's family. Politics. No one really believes it will make one iota of difference.

I was interested to read about Ed's Marxist father, particularly after the Labour conference where Ed and his Union paymasters seemed to aspire to take us back to Old Labour. God Forbid.

Anyone remember Stephen Lawrence? The DM picturing his killers on their front page? Their concerted campaign to bring them to justice?

What was the front page of the page of the Socialist Worker newspaper after Margaret Thatcher's death? Rejoice Thatcher's Dead. Tasteful.

It's about decency Bags.

There's been plenty about that elsewhere for a day or two, which is good.

Re gatecrashing and privacy, the issue is still whether the bad behaviour of some reporters justifies press censorship by the state or whether we just need stricter laws for dealing with the bad behaviour and slinging the culprits in jail or fining them.

Good night all

his how