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Newspapers influence on voting in the EU referendum of 2016

(112 Posts)
varian Thu 13-Apr-23 18:39:18

Most of the UK national press has a right wing pro-brexit bias.

However when this fact is raised on Gransnet many posters claim to be impervious to bias - as in "the newspaper I read does not effect the way I think or the way I vote"

Really?

www.statista.com/statistics/1072148/brexit-vote-by-newspaper-preference/

Oreo Thu 13-Apr-23 22:07:31

This whole subject is a merry go round VioletSky on every forum there is.
Maybe in ten years it will all go quiet.There was a vote, it didn’t go the way I or lots of other people thought was the right choice, but lots of other people thought their choice was the best, and that was over a million more than voted to stay in the EU.
For seven years after that forums have been ablaze with the ones who voted to stay in the EU gunning for those that didn’t, throwing insults at them right left and centre.
We all know this, we all see this, it’s a fact of life.As I said, the permanently pissed off.

VioletSky Thu 13-Apr-23 22:08:52

Being angry takes so much energy

Oreo Thu 13-Apr-23 22:10:04

I agree there VioletSky but they still do it.

Greta Thu 13-Apr-23 23:23:57

Oreo, "the permanently pissed off "will eventually include the whole nation. Brexit isn't finished yet. Will you be proud of the legacy you'll be leaving your children, grandchildren and future generations? They will certainly want to know what on earth possessed 52% of voters to sign up to this madness.

GrannyRose15 Fri 14-Apr-23 00:44:11

Greta

Oreo, "the permanently pissed off "will eventually include the whole nation. Brexit isn't finished yet. Will you be proud of the legacy you'll be leaving your children, grandchildren and future generations? They will certainly want to know what on earth possessed 52% of voters to sign up to this madness.

No they won’t. Because by the time my grandchildren are grown they will understand the value of being an independent sovereign state that can stand up for freedom everywhere.

Dickens Fri 14-Apr-23 01:29:22

Foxygloves

I certainly don’t think the newspapers I read affect my thinking but I dare say there are others who accept verbatim the trash peddled by the red tops

But here we go again on Brexit. {sigh}

Well political decisions, especially ones that are far-reaching, affect people's lives. Particularly if the effects of such decisions are on-going.

There's questions still, hanging over the methods used by the Leave campaign. There are ongoing discussions about the 'bonfire' of EU regulations. The government is attempting to negotiate trade deals to replace the ones we had with the EU - farmers and fishermen are watching how these progress, and wondering how they might be affected. Then there's Northern Ireland... and so on.

Therefore I can't think of a legitimate reason why Brexit should not be discussed. And if you find it tedious - well, there was a clue in the title of this thread which should serve as an indication to which way the comments might travel.

I understand there are Brexit-voters who wish we'd just "get over it" and shut up about it, but I don't understand why when some of the much-lauded benefits that we might have expected have failed to materialise. "Levelling-Up" didn't happen, we still have VAT on fuel, I won't even mention the red bus because we've been informed that it wasn't actually a promise - just an example of what we could spend the money on that was going to become available after we left, so fair enough, it was just a red-herring. And of course the pandemic coming along when it did has skewed things somewhat - so all the more reason to look at the effects of it in relation to Brexit.

FannyCornforth Fri 14-Apr-23 05:40:44

What an interesting website!
Thanks for the link Varian

However, I tend to agree with Foxygloves upthread

But I’m also surprised that as many as 31.53 per cent of Daily Mail readers voted Remain.
Perhaps they weren’t paying enough attention? wink

I would have been interested to see the stats for The MoS, as that organ’s editorial was far more Remain adjacent that its sister paper

FannyCornforth Fri 14-Apr-23 05:47:01

Another consideration.
Rather than controlling their ovine readership, to what degree do papers simply give the punters what they want?

In that they mirror the readers beliefs and preferences?
Is their political influence over egged?

If The Guardian suddenly came over all Tory, it wouldn’t convert all of its readers, would it?

volver3 Fri 14-Apr-23 06:39:49

Because by the time my grandchildren are grown they will understand the value of being an independent sovereign state that can stand up for freedom everywhere.

Nice to start the day with a bit of comedy.

Foxygloves Fri 14-Apr-23 06:42:26

@Dickens There’s another clue in the title when you compare it with todays date.

NanaDana Fri 14-Apr-23 06:58:26

Breaking news.. a truly unbiased newspaper has finally been introduced, and will be delivered to your doors via a unicorn ridden by a fairy...

Daisymae Fri 14-Apr-23 07:46:05

We are all influenced by what we read, hear and the company we keep. Newspapers keep going because of their influence. Look at the avalanche of negativity poured on Corbyn. Was that really warranted? Did the negativity have no impact?

Fleurpepper Fri 14-Apr-23 08:02:14

Oreo

This whole subject is a merry go round VioletSky on every forum there is.
Maybe in ten years it will all go quiet.There was a vote, it didn’t go the way I or lots of other people thought was the right choice, but lots of other people thought their choice was the best, and that was over a million more than voted to stay in the EU.
For seven years after that forums have been ablaze with the ones who voted to stay in the EU gunning for those that didn’t, throwing insults at them right left and centre.
We all know this, we all see this, it’s a fact of life.As I said, the permanently pissed off.

Sorry, but I don't think you quite understand how the vast majority now feels, even if they voted for Brexit.

If Brexit had delivered any good effect on the UK since 2016- people would have gone quiet already, and the majority of those who voted for Brexit would not still be in favour. And those of us whom you very rudely call 'the permanently pissed off' (whilst at the same time complaining about having insults thrown at you, oh the irony!) - would have gone quiet and said 'ah well, at least we can see that there are positives' and enjoy the good news.

I shall be told off for being insistent, I know- but we have been asking for over 6 years for a list of benefits of Brexit- and I don't know why, it never, ever comes. Just slips through the net ... somehow. Please, do provide one.

Galaxy Fri 14-Apr-23 08:13:54

It showed us which people hate the class which they pretend to want to 'help'.

volver3 Fri 14-Apr-23 08:18:12

I don't want to "help" unrepentant Leavers. They've ruined the country and I'm not charitable enough to forgive them. Neither am I patronising enough to say that they were led astray and it's not their fault.

Germanshepherdsmum Fri 14-Apr-23 09:07:28

👏👏👏 volver.

Whitewavemark2 Fri 14-Apr-23 09:13:20

Brexit is a total failure.

It is just a question of waiting for the slow lane to catch up, and then we can face the issue head on.

MaizieD Fri 14-Apr-23 09:16:37

Galaxy

It showed us which people hate the class which they pretend to want to 'help'.

I'm actually finding this post very difficult to comprehend. Who are the 'people who hate the class they pretend to want to help'?

I would interpret that as being the tory leavers who told us that sunlit uplands awaited us when we left the EU, with more and better paid jobs, better food, animal welfare and environmental standards and everything much cheaper.

But I might be wrong as Galaxy is continually telling us off for talking about other sections of the population the wrong way.

Dickens Fri 14-Apr-23 09:20:23

Germanshepherdsmum

👏👏👏 volver.

- 👏👏👏 from me also.

Dickens Fri 14-Apr-23 09:24:43

Has anyone seen Urmstongran around?

I only mention this because she usually pops up on the N&P threads and I haven't seen any posts from her recently.

She might be on holiday of course, but I always worry slightly when a well-known poster seems to disappear.

Foxygloves Fri 14-Apr-23 09:25:12

It would be unrealistic to try to pretend any news organs are entirely unbiased. Of course something the BBC should be as it is funded by taxpayers money, but fat chance.
However I believe we have a responsibility to read widely, check facts, be aware of bias but not unduly influenced by it and learn to discriminate between truth and prejudice or gossip.
You don’t achieve that without a wide range of source material. Social media is NOT the way as the algorithms ensure that what we are exposed to merely reinforces our prejudices.
So we can’t blame the DM, DT, Boris’s bus or anybody else. I remember before the referendum directing GNetters to an online lecture by a very well informed pro Remain speaker who set out the facts and likely consequences clearly and in no uncertain terms. One reply I got was that the poster in question “couldn’t be bothered to waste 10 minutes listening to it”
As the Scottish story goes
“Lord, we didna ken , we didna ken”

“Well ye ken noo!”

Fleurpepper Fri 14-Apr-23 09:25:33

Fleurpepper

Oreo

This whole subject is a merry go round VioletSky on every forum there is.
Maybe in ten years it will all go quiet.There was a vote, it didn’t go the way I or lots of other people thought was the right choice, but lots of other people thought their choice was the best, and that was over a million more than voted to stay in the EU.
For seven years after that forums have been ablaze with the ones who voted to stay in the EU gunning for those that didn’t, throwing insults at them right left and centre.
We all know this, we all see this, it’s a fact of life.As I said, the permanently pissed off.

Sorry, but I don't think you quite understand how the vast majority now feels, even if they voted for Brexit.

If Brexit had delivered any good effect on the UK since 2016- people would have gone quiet already, and the majority of those who voted for Brexit would not still be in favour. And those of us whom you very rudely call 'the permanently pissed off' (whilst at the same time complaining about having insults thrown at you, oh the irony!) - would have gone quiet and said 'ah well, at least we can see that there are positives' and enjoy the good news.

I shall be told off for being insistent, I know- but we have been asking for over 6 years for a list of benefits of Brexit- and I don't know why, it never, ever comes. Just slips through the net ... somehow. Please, do provide one.

Apologies- should always careful proof read! Of course I meant 'the majority who voted for Brexit would still be in favour (and not now turned against it).

Fleurpepper Fri 14-Apr-23 09:26:34

Foxyglove, in all fairness, the Scotts knew, and voted largely against.

volver3 Fri 14-Apr-23 09:27:29

As I have been known to say in the past...

A majority might be in favour of the death penalty but that doesn't make it right.

Galaxy Fri 14-Apr-23 09:32:14

Well yes that's a point against referendums which I would agree are bad things.