Political Spectrum of Irish Print Media?

southsiderosie

How would people categorize Irish newspapers and magazines?

I'd like to think about this in two ways:

1) Politically - I don't mean "Indo = rag" or the like, but what would be the general spectrum? And how do you think they have shifted over time? I know 'political spectrum' encompasses a lot, so I guess it would be helpful to say why you think one is leftist or right-wing. This seems a bit clearer to me for UK newspapers than Irish papers.

2) Most important/influential - I'm not that familiar with print media outside of the IT and Indo, so if people have any suggestions, especially for weekly or monthly news magazines, please fire away!

Cheers.

oscarBravo

southsiderosie wrote: »

I always read about the IT being traditionally unionist, for example.

I think the Irish Times is "unionist" in the sense that I've been described as a Unionist by some nationalists on this forum: not in the sense of particularly wanting to preserve the union between GB and NI, but not rabidly opposed to it either.

Monty Burnz

The Sindo is like Fianna Fail - full of populist bullsh*t, and therefore unclassifiable on a political spectrum imo.

southsiderosie

Monty Burnz wrote: »

The Sindo is like Fianna Fail - full of populist bullsh*t, and therefore unclassifiable on a political spectrum imo.

Yeah, that's kind of Irish politics in a nutshell - it doesn't fit neatly into any given category.

But it's not considered a tabloid, is it?

Monty Burnz

southsiderosie wrote: »

But it's not considered a tabloid, is it?

I imagine some people do take it seriously, but I'd say that even a lot of those who buy it do so knowing that it's awful rubbish.

southsiderosie

OK, I've rephrased the OP a bit...

Lockstep

Personally speaking:

Irish Times: Left of centre/social liberal
Sunday Independent: Right wing populism.
Independant: centre-right
Sunday Business Post: Centre/liberal
Sunday Tribune: centre
Alive: Christian, extremely conservative on social issues
An Poblacht: Left wing, Sinn Féin


Leaving out all the local newspapers.

Tabloids are usually mirrors of their British counterparts (Irish Daily Mail etc)

Alopex

southsiderosie wrote: »

Yeah, that's kind of Irish politics in a nutshell - it doesn't fit neatly into any given category.

But it's not considered a tabloid, is it?

I would consider it a tabloid. and I think more and more people are coming around to that idea - particularly in recent times.

oscarbravo wrote:

I think the Irish Times is "unionist" in the sense that I've been described as a Unionist by some nationalists on this forum: not in the sense of particularly wanting to preserve the union between GB and NI, but not rabidly opposed to it either.

That could be said about all papers with perhaps the exception of the Irish news - which isn't widely read in the republic of ireland

Nodin

Only one I bother with is The Times, when I bother at all.

Wolfe Tone

What about the Irish News? Only read it a few times, I found it decent enough.

southsiderosie

What about magazines? Are there weekly/monthly current events/culture magazines that people would recommend?

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

What about the Irish News? Only read it a few times, I found it decent enough.

How would you classify that newspaper politically?

Wolfe Tone

southsiderosie wrote: »

What about magazines? Are there weekly/monthly current events/culture magazines that people would recommend?



How would you classify that newspaper politically?

I've literally only read it a few times so I don't think I can make a properly informed opinion on it.

I rarely read the print media these days, get it all off the net.

Alopex

southsiderosie wrote: »

What about magazines? Are there weekly/monthly current events/culture magazines that people would recommend?



How would you classify that newspaper politically?

mildly nationalist in the way belfast telegraph is mildly unionist. less tabloidy. be slightly left of centre tone in a similar vein to the irish times for the most part.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Whats the Examiner like? I've never read it much.

Hayte

The Irish Times editorial line is definitely right of centre. Opposite the editorial is a mixed bag and oscillates wildly between the likes of Lara Marlowe and Charles Krauthammer. Even though the op-eds don't reflect the opinions of the editorial staff, the fact they even gave Krauthammer column space says something. Fintan O' Toole is like the op-ed counterweight to Dan O' Brien who is part of the editorial team.

Its hard to pinpoint the Irish Times on international events because a huge amount of their international coverage is syndicated from Reuters, Associated Press, the Washington Post and the Guardian Service.

In the UK, none of the major newspapers can really be called left wing except for possibly The Guardian which is centre/slightly left liberal. The trend reflects the fact that none of the major political parties in the UK are left leaning. The Guardian is owned by the Scott Trust Foundation though which I think deliberately tries to protect the paper's editorial line despite it being loss making. I think that makes it quite unique amongst UK papers since everyone else has to chase circulation.

The Guardian looks radically left leaning because nearly every other national newspaper is miles further to the right. So the UK press ranging from the "left most" Guardian to the likes of the Daily Express which is anti EU, anti immigration, nativist, super right wing.

Everything else sort of fits in between and most switch party allegiances depending on who they can cosy up to. The Sun is notorious for doing that with New Labour/Conservative but politically theres not a whole lot of difference between the two parties. First past the post practically guarantees that there isn't going to be any notable shift in government policy for...well, forever.