What gives anyone the right to 'knock' a newspaper?

I do not shrink from criticizing the DM because I find its sensationalist approach distasteful. I am entitled to that opinion and happy to express that view and happy for others to disagree with it. There may be people who enjoy the very sensationalism that I detest and they are entitled to enjoy it.

I love classical music and others might hate it - that's fine.

The important thing is that we do not decide our political views on the basis of any one rag, as there will be no balance. That is why I dislike the DM because it picks the aspect of a story (however small) that it thinks will be the most sensational and blows it out of proportion so that it becomes the story that people hear, e.g. benefits cheats - they give the impression that this is the norm rather than the minority.

The idea that one should refrain from adverse comment about a newspaper because it might upset somebody who reads that journal, is mind-blowingly absurd.

It's a national pastime!

I would think that most people on here have enough common sense to know when they're reading rubbish. Even though they might indulge now and again, just for entertainment.
But there are probably other people who accept some of the rubbish as the truth, and form their opinions on the basis of this. And vote accordingly.
But all media systems have to be selective in what they put out, they couldn't include everything. Personally I think TV has more influence than newspapers. More than radio too.

For the life of me I can't imagine why it's wrong to knock a newspaper!

How does it affect those who read it?

Think I must be missing the point ....

This has got to have the gold medal for the most ridiculous thread title on Gransnet. Ever.

Rupert Murdoch is meeting with the government to try and get rid of the BBC and promote Sky.
Some newspapers deserve to be condemned, along with their owners.
Same as the Telegraph, whose owners do not pay the right amount of tax in this country.

It tends not to be particular articles though, it's a general dislike verging on hatred of a certain newspaper, usually the Daily Mail on this site.

The vast majority of the links on the political threads are from the Guardian, simply because most of those who post links on those threads are left-wing in their views.

If the DM, Guardian or any other news source is free to print lies or distortions designed to mislead, then I am free, I would even say duty bound, to rebut in the most effective way possible.
If thats offends. So be it. I am offended when the gutter press untruthfully maligns.

Just whizzed through the first couple of pages.

I think what happens is that things sort of get out of hand, the item starts off perfectly OK. Somewhere along the way someone says something that someone else takes personally. Just wish we could have a time out button that shows it is time to calm down.

Abandoned.

What thread rose?

Well, you can't deny the Guardian is left-wing!

I read the DM along with several other newspapers and I also watch different news channels from which I get as much information as I can about the news.

I do sometimes feel that the antagonism against the DM does become a bit strident and it can come across as an attack on the DM readers. Similar things could be said about, say, the Guardian - I have heard of it being called a left wing, middle class, badly reported badly edited rag (yes I do read the Guardian!).

On the 'abandon' thread, whitewave, it DID upset kittylester for a start, and no doubt others as well.

To be succinct,it is not wrong to have a poor opinion of any newspaper,
But socially nicer and kinder, not to bandy that about within a 'circle' like a forum.It smacks of looking ' superior', and you either 'get' this fact or you don't.

No rose of course knocking a newspaper doesnt alienate a reader or is unkind. What one is knocking is the editorial line. I am as you might have guessed a Guardian reader, and you can say what you like about the paper, it doesn't reflect on me as a person. Just as criticism of a book that I thoroughly enjoyed wouldn't worry me. It is a matter of personal choice. We can happily debate editorial content as rubbish or brilliant without it reflecting on us as people.

That's fine if you don't mind going around upsetting people ( on here) and there are obviously some who don't give a fig about that.
A lot of people read the Mail ( I don't read any papers) and posts that rubbish it, whatever you think to the contrary, do upset/annoy Gransnetters who take that paper regularly.

Why shouldn't a newspaper, which sells as a commodity and publishes blatant falsehoods (looking at you, Daily Mail, for one) be 'knocked'?

I can think of some informative web-sites that specifically refuse to accept DM stories as material... The James Randi Educational Foundation's "Doubtful News" section for one.

Since the comment was mine, I will say that it holds good, not to 'knock' a particular newspaper on the forum, as you will alienate all on the forum who read it, not a great idea, or a very kind one either.