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An experiment in truth

The two Robs have got me thinking as usual. See the post below, The Kraken has awoken and they’re  getting all agitated about the media and politics. Quite rightly in my opinion.

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BUT, who am I to comment as someone who only reads the Guardian every day. Am I objective? Doubt it. So in the interests of balance, I’m going to read a different newspaper every day next week and comment on what I find. Not only will I be able to test my limp wristed liberal tendencies, I may well learn something.

So:

Monday is The Telegraph

Tuesday is The Mail

Wednesday is The Mirror

Thursday is The Sun

Friday is The Times

I’ve left out The Independent because I read it sporadically when I fancy a liberal comic. The Star is not a newspaper and I read my Mum’s Express when I go stay. I’ll post as I go along.

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18 responses to “An experiment in truth”

  1. Rob Mortimer Avatar
    Rob Mortimer

    Hang about.
    I think we should start a project. Get some bloggers with varying views, and start a blog whereby each of them reads a different paper each day for two weeks and writes about the results. For MBH maybe?

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  2. Rob @ Cynic Avatar
    Rob @ Cynic

    Good on you mate … it’ll open your eyes and not always in a good way, ha!
    One thing we do at cynic is have a librarian. One of the things she does is get all the key US national and state newspapers in [she’s in our NYC office] and cuts out the same news stories from the different papers so that we can see how different demographics [both attitudinally, geographically and professionally] will view the same event thanks to the ‘slant’ of the paper.
    It’s bloody interesting and when you overlap that with other studies, can help you really get a great view on how [and why] certain groups think/act is particular ways.
    If you can’t stretch to that, reading different newspapers and magazines [covering all variety of subjects] will be interesting too.
    Sorry, I know I am teaching granny to suck eggs, but our Librarian is probably the best investment we’ve ever made and is more informed and aware than most researchers we’ve dealt with.
    Lobby for your own … it’ll change your World, from thinking to work – which can only be good for you, clients and the public at large.
    Oh and we also have monthly SPEAKEASY’s and EAT YOUR WORD dinners – where people from opposing points of view come in and tell us what they think and why. It always decends into a mass row – but we all learn by the end of it, especially the visitors. I’m not saying we’re the greatest bunch in the World, but at least we try and learn – I think it is the moral duty of all ad agencies to find out the spectrum of opinion – I wonder how many actually do it or leave it upto the individual.
    Don’t worry, that’s the last of my rants for now – I’m off to bed, ha!

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  3. Rob @ Cynic Avatar
    Rob @ Cynic

    Great idea Rob – any way we can help, shout.

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  4. Helen Avatar
    Helen

    I’ve never settled on a single paper. I don’t read one every day, but tend to read 3-4 different ones on days when I’m I’m travelling. I love seeing the different takes on the same story.

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  5. Will Avatar
    Will

    Liberal comic?
    Heh. I enjoy the Independent. I like reading alternative views. Oh, and Miles Kington’s column – easily the funniest writer in any paper.
    Or, sometimes, I read the Telegraph. I do like the Observer at weekends for the sport..
    The Mail & The Express are the only two papers I regard as trash. Red tops posing as real papers..

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  6. doug Avatar
    doug

    enjoy tuesday 😉

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  7. Rob @ Cynic Avatar
    Rob @ Cynic

    I think the key thing here is that it’s not just about what we like to read, but what our consumers like.
    Personally I think The Sun is a pile of crap, but unfortunately 4 million or so Brits read it [and believe it] everyday … which is why it’s influence in forging consumers opinions should not only be acknolwedged, but also understood. [ie: Immigration issues]
    For what it’s worth, I am a firm believer that reading a variety of journals – from trash, mass, niche and glam – is a quick way to get a basic understanding of what consumers are/will be thinking that day/week/month annnnnnnd it has the added benefit of broadening our own minds – which can be just as limited as a Mail or Express reader, if all you ever do is read the Independent or Guardian.
    Sorry … lecture over … I’m obviously in far too much of a ‘passionate’ mood at the moment! Christ, and I’m still on holiday too!

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  8. Rob Mortimer Avatar
    Rob Mortimer

    I try to read both a red top and a serious paper at least once a week to get a good idea of whats going on.
    I also find that reading Private Eye is a great way of looking at things from different (humourous) angles…

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  9. Rob @ Cynic Avatar
    Rob @ Cynic

    The other thing you may find useful is watch/read alot of observational comedians. I actually talk to a couple on quite a regular basis and their ability to help forge new ways of looking at old things is quite frightening. They’d be far better planners than most … and probably more enjoyable to work with, ha!

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  10. Northern Planner Avatar
    Northern Planner

    Someone once told me that if you want to understand how you audience thinks and you’ve no time/budget for research, read what they read. So true.I’ve got a scapbook choc full of magazine cuttings from all over the shop, I’ve just got lazy with newspapers.
    In abscence of Rob’s wonderful librarian, I’m going to have to do more of what Helen’s does. I used to, I’ve just got lazy.
    next week will be a good start. Incidentally, I can’t deny skimming through the Sun and Heat magazine every now and then.

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  11. Northern Planner Avatar
    Northern Planner

    Mr Mortimer, that’s a capital idea. Let’s discuss it on the 18th.

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  12. Rob @ Cynic Avatar
    Rob @ Cynic

    Our Librarian is from Brighton – she wouldn’t be ‘Northern enough’ for you!

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  13. Andrew Avatar
    Andrew

    No problem, we’re indoctrinating Mortimer nicely

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  14. FishNChimps Avatar
    FishNChimps

    My team go through all the UK papers (except for the Star and the Sport), mixing them around so that we’ve covered each of them at least twice a week.
    If you threw any unsyndicated news article at us, we’d be able to identify the source easily, or at worst we’d pop for the nearest rival (e.g. Indy/Guardian, Express/Mail).
    When showing newcomers the pleasures of TGI I show them a chart that maps attitude statements against the UK papers (which we hide on the chart, to challenge our victims). It’s dead easy for anyone to identify the newspapers’ readers, so strongly are the titles associated with particular points of view.
    If you read the same paper every day, the odds are that you are not subjective.

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  15. Rob @ Cynic Avatar
    Rob @ Cynic

    Why would you want to read the same paper everyday? Wouldn’t it be boring looking at the same stories day in, day out?
    Sorry – I’m in a stupid mood because I not only get what you’re saying, but agree 2005735%

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  16. FishNChimps Avatar
    FishNChimps

    If you read the Express then you’ll be seeing the same Diana story at least 3 times a week

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  17. Andrew Avatar
    Andrew

    Diana is alive and well and living in Harrogate, it was all a cover up surely?

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  18. FishNChimps Avatar
    FishNChimps

    It was Saddam’s double they really hanged, you know.

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