Munster v news & star

Manabouttown1

Long time lurker first time poster, gotta start somewhere!

Both papers out on a Tuesday now...which one do you buy? If any..my guess is people don't buy papers anymore.

I'm a Munster man, always have been. Not quite sure why though...just a family thing.

deisemum

I prefer the Munster Express

kaef

News&Star but i've never read Munster Expr tbh

Manabouttown1

I'm gonna start giving the news and star a try now because the level of reporting in the Munster is shocking. Also they cover far too many places that I would consider to be Kilkenny and Tipperary.

Smiley Burnett

news and star is too tabloid....They have dumbed down always try and go for negative stories...The Munster is much more positive in its approach to news...

Manabouttown1

Do people read newspapers to get good news? I think I'm just a bit tired of paying for a rag that isn't much more than a community bulletin board.

Mind you I can't really say much about the news and star cause it's not bought in our house. I think it's a political thing. This week's Munster had a story about cigarettes on the front page. Wtf?

mooseknunkle

They are both crap newspapers..the munster used to be decent years ago..the news and star is as bad as it ever was trying to much to be like the daily mirror..the entertainment section is just basically a copy and paste of boards and twitter.

ROCKMAN

Apart from the court appearances .

or

the annual first day in school photos......

Do people read or look at anything else in these newspapers..

Manabouttown1

I have just picked up a copy of the news and star. I shall investigate and report back. I agree that people only tend to buy these things when they're kids are in it. How are they still afloat?

Manabouttown1

Where's all the boards and twitter stuff? It just takes up half a page as far as I can see?

Can't say I'm too interested in mums the word and well boy but each to their own. And what's with the fashion pages. This is a Waterford magazine not hello.

One of my old school friends is in the court pages. Really good interview with Ciaran o Neill from the forum in news and star.

Odd that the Munster didn't go with the missing man on the front page. Is that what you mean by them boy being negative?

fricatus

I prefer the News & Star. By far the best bit is Phoenix - say what you like, he knows his subject and seems to do his research in detail.

Contrast that with the "editorials" in the Munster... rehashed opinions, badly written - like a typical 14-year-old's essay for English class. In fairness they may have improved; I haven't read one in 2-3 years. But boy, they were bad.

If only more local journalists did in-depth investigation, I would buy the local papers more often. Certainly the "national" media don't seem to have any interest in what goes on beyond the M50. Trouble is, such journalism costs money, which means selling more papers, which is not going to happen if they're crap - vicious circle!

fricatus

Manabouttown1 wrote: »

I have just picked up a copy of the news and star. I shall investigate and report back. I agree that people only tend to buy these things when they're kids are in it. How are they still afloat?

Because the grannies also buy a copy!

And because they print loads of school pictures...

LiamD1977

With all the talk of expenses and the one councillor being investigated by the Gardaí you would think that one of the papers would do a Freedom Of Information request on last years councillors expenses. See who went to what dodgy conference in Donegal and such ,

The reason this doesn't happen is that the council are one of the biggest customers of both papers and they wont bite hand that feeds them.

joni1

Manabouttown1 wrote: »

Where's all the boards and twitter stuff? It just takes up half a page as far as I can see?

Can't say I'm too interested in mums the word and well boy but each to their own. And what's with the fashion pages. This is a Waterford magazine not hello.

One of my old school friends is in the court pages. Really good interview with Ciaran o Neill from the forum in news and star.

Odd that the Munster didn't go with the missing man on the front page. Is that what you mean by them boy being negative?

I much prefer the entertainment section in the Munster, always loads of coverage of local stuff. The News and Star seems like pages from a national paper that are slotted in to fill a gap

Dicky Pride

joni1 wrote: »

I much prefer the entertainment section in the Munster, always loads of coverage of local stuff. The News and Star seems like pages from a national paper that are slotted in to fill a gap

Don't be fooled. Both papers contain entertainment pages that are filled with press releases. In many cases, the exact same press releases. So for you to say that one is better than the other, well that's just a bit absurd. Waterford is a small city and the main papers in Waterford have very small staff numbers - the entertainment pages are not very high priority so whatever the PR people send in, is what makes it into the papers. In my experience, the bigger the entertainment section, the less original content you're going to find in the paper.

As we know, the Waterford Today is about 95% press releases.

The Munster Express is next when it comes to the amount of unoriginal content, but I would put that down to the face that their staff numbers have dwindled significantly in recent years.

It's great that the city has two newspapers that are both equally representing Waterford as best as they can. Whether the news is positive or negative, it's usually a fair reflection of what is happening in the city and county at that given time. The number one criticism that I hear about the Munster Express is that it's too parochial...too old fashioned, but the place is an institution and I hope it's around for a long time to come.

The main criticism of the News & Star is that it tries to be too tabloidy, too shocking...but come on...how shocking can you actually be in Waterford? The very people who complain about it are the very people that are rubbernecking and twitching their curtains every day.

Switching to Tuesday was a brave move for the Munster Express...their tagline is that they are Waterford's leading Newspaper, which I'm not sure they can justify. They used to quote ABC stats or something like that, to show they were number one, but that seems to have disappeared from the front page so my guess is that's no longer the case.

joni1

Dicky Pride wrote: »

Don't be fooled. Both papers contain entertainment pages that are filled with press releases. In many cases, the exact same press releases. So for you to say that one is better than the other, well that's just a bit absurd. Waterford is a small city and the main papers in Waterford have very small staff numbers - the entertainment pages are not very high priority so whatever the PR people send in, is what makes it into the papers. In my experience, the bigger the entertainment section, the less original content you're going to find in the paper.

As we know, the Waterford Today is about 95% press releases.

The Munster Express is next when it comes to the amount of unoriginal content, but I would put that down to the face that their staff numbers have dwindled significantly in recent years.

It's great that the city has two newspapers that are both equally representing Waterford as best as they can. Whether the news is positive or negative, it's usually a fair reflection of what is happening in the city and county at that given time. The number one criticism that I hear about the Munster Express is that it's too parochial...too old fashioned, but the place is an institution and I hope it's around for a long time to come.

The main criticism of the News & Star is that it tries to be too tabloidy, too shocking...but come on...how shocking can you actually be in Waterford? The very people who complain about it are the very people that are rubbernecking and twitching their curtains every day.

Switching to Tuesday was a brave move for the Munster Express...their tagline is that they are Waterford's leading Newspaper, which I'm not sure they can justify. They used to quote ABC stats or something like that, to show they were number one, but that seems to have disappeared from the front page so my guess is that's no longer the case.

I have to disagree there, the Munster always has coverage of local art and photography exhibitions and gigs that you'd never hear about in the News and Star. Not sure if that info would come from PR people or what though

Squirrel McGuffin

Well I don't know about The Munster, but the News & Star is actually produced in Enniscorthy. The local production staff were very quietly let go a few years ago, and the work is now done by The Echo production staff. For that reason alone I wouldn't buy that paper.

mooseknunkle

Squirrel McGuffin wrote: »

Well I don't know about The Munster, but the News & Star is actually produced in Enniscorthy. The local production staff were very quietly let go a few years ago, and the work is now done by The Echo production staff. For that reason alone I wouldn't buy that paper.

I dont think the news and star was ever printed in waterford wasnt it done down cork before im open to correction on this though..

Dicky Pride

Squirrel McGuffin wrote: »

Well I don't know about The Munster, but the News & Star is actually produced in Enniscorthy. The local production staff were very quietly let go a few years ago, and the work is now done by The Echo production staff. For that reason alone I wouldn't buy that paper.

My god. I think this paragraph right here sums up what it wrong with Waterford people. A constant chip on the shoulder. Production has been moved to Wexford not New Dehli. The Munster have also stopped producing in Waterford. It's just a sign of the times...the printed press is a dying form of media.

Squirrel McGuffin

Not the printing production. That was never done in Waterford. The actual layout of the paper and all the ads was moved to The Echo newspaper. The designers here were made redundant.

jayboi

Ive got to go with Munster on this one - they've been there or there abouts the last few years in Europe, winning the Heineken cup in 06 and 08. They really are a top Irish side.
I'm not sure how the N&S would approach a match with a professional rugby team or what rational they would use in justifying such a game. Well worded as some articles may be this could be a prime example of stick and stones my break my bones but words....

Dicky Pride

Perfection jayboi.

KevIRL

ROCKMAN wrote: »

Apart from the court appearances .

or

the annual first day in school photos......

Do people read or look at anything else in these newspapers..

Sport

Dicky Pride

Squirrel McGuffin wrote: »

Not the printing production. That was never done in Waterford. The actual layout of the paper and all the ads was moved to The Echo newspaper. The designers here were made redundant.

If you were to hold that against businesses in this day and age you'd have to have issue with the majority of them. The Munster also had to let their design and production team go in 2011.

hardybuck

I would much rather have 1 quality paper for the county rather than the two mediocre ones in the city and what I expect are two equally mediocre ones in the county.

I won't even class Waterford today as a newspaper.

FestyOSemtex

I buy both and tbh its hard to differentiate between the two. They are both crap.

Waterford Today is used for my cat litter.

Dicky Pride

Cool story bro. Do you eat any food that you hate too?

Max Powers

i would say I buy munster 70%, news& star 30% of time, not really sure why I favour one. I buy one of them every week, I like them as I like to know whats happening, what has happened etc. Only thing that annoys me is the printing of speculation or TD/Councillor speak verbatim without any questions being asked. Speculation I have seen a lot of recently is the announcement of jobs 'soon', newgate centre (it reads like there is some merit in rumours here but nothing concrete), before new years there was the rumour of a major new tourism attraction for the quay in 12-18 months, who of us will remember that headline in 12-18 months. I would love it if half of the speculation actually came true in a reasonable time like 6 months. take this weeks Munster 'H&M possible for where brasserie was', I cant believe any of the speculation any more which is a bit irritating even though I guess that one will come true with planning in etc.

RumMonkey

Dicky Pride wrote: »

If you were to hold that against businesses in this day and age you'd have to have issue with the majority of them. The Munster also had to let their design and production team go in 2011.

The Munster Express closed their Printing, Production/Design and Circulation/Distribution departments in 2011 - making 12 people redundant. They outsourced this work to other parts of the country.

comeraghs

Neither of them are the Irish Times but have ye ever read any local papers from other parts of the country?

Not any better than our two.

hardybuck

comeraghs wrote: »

Neither of them are the Irish Times but have ye ever read any local papers from other parts of the country?

Not any better than our two.

I certainly have. The Evening Echo in Cork, which is daily, and the Kerryman.

Dunmoreroader

I buy the N&S most weeks and occasionally the Munster. I hate the fixation with crime stories, break-in's, etc.; it's a race to the bottom and scaring the sh*t out of everyone as they go. Also, attributing jobs and/or investment announcements to some local T.D./Senator/Councillor has gone to ridiculous levels. Just because said politician brings the story to the paper doesn't mean the paper has to attribute it to him/her ffs. What are the pols going to do; threaten to take their election ad spend to KK or WX?
The market has shrunk for local newspapers to such a level that 1 good one should do rather than 3 mediocre ones which is what we have currently reprinting P.R's, generic inserts on lifestyles etc. covering all the publishers titles.
Having said all of that, the N&S had a good article this week on Ciaran O'Neill/The Forum and the demise of the pub/nightclub scene in Waterford. Proper journalism - more of that please.

GotTheTshirt

LiamD1977 wrote: »

With all the talk of expenses and the one councillor being investigated by the Gardaí you would think that one of the papers would do a Freedom Of Information request on last years councillors expenses. See who went to what dodgy conference in Donegal and such ,

The reason this doesn't happen is that the council are one of the biggest customers of both papers and they wont bite hand that feeds them.

This would be very straight forward to do yourself and post the findings on this forum!

Dicky Pride

Liz reddy just tweeted the front pages of both the news and star and the Munster. Without reading anymore in both papers yet, here are my thoughts -

It's almost like they read this thread. Munster have good news on the front, news and star have bad news. Personally I think both front page stories are terrible. Man dies from a heart attack is a terrible front page story and I don't know what that paper was thinking.

The glanbia story is thin on the ground and could have been a paid ad, never mind a front page story.

Also I see the Munster are running a two page spread on Ciaran O Neill and the forum - that's original. I wonder where they got the idea for that.

On the basis of the front pages, I have no desire to read either paper so I'll leave that up to someone else.

Tosh10

agreed 110 %. Where's the "NEWS" like ??!
Take today's N&S - Dung'van heart attack - which isnt even news was last Thursday........ widely reported the next day. Daryl Kavanagh...........everyone in the town knew last Thursday or fri and was all over wlr.
and look @ the Munster...........glanbia? nothing to see/learn there....zzzzz. Women boxing as front photo ?? Cheekpoint robbery was known all over the county since thurs or fri.
daily newspapers have a hard time keepin up with other media........ weeklys havent a prayer. Two of them head to head on a tuesday is making things even worse...no time or taught going into stories.
Wat Today doesnt pretend to be a news paper....its an ad sheet.

mike65

Munster banned from Job Bridge scam.

http://www.thejournal.ie/jobbridge-ban-1286589-Jan2014/

shockwave

mike65 wrote: »

Munster banned from Job Bridge scam.

http://www.thejournal.ie/jobbridge-ban-1286589-Jan2014/

I bet the news & star dont say a word about it.

lynnemc

and Tosh10, whats your problem with women boxing as the front picture ? a change from men gaa..... I happen to be one of the female boxers and I'd like you to tell me, whats the problem ?

Dicky Pride

Every Tuesday, or whatever day the Munster comes out, Dermot Keyes spams Twitter with multiple tweets about all the stuff that's in the paper this week. He hasn't tweeted once today for some reason...

Tosh10

absolutely nothing Lynne.... I meant in a way that its not unusual any more..... I dont think the paper would have put 2 male boxer's on the front cover....? That was my point -- badly put accross maybe. my own daughter does taekwondo and rugby -- so zero sexism intended........!

deisemum

mike65 wrote: »

Munster banned from Job Bridge scam.

http://www.thejournal.ie/jobbridge-ban-1286589-Jan2014/

It was covered on the 9pm news on RTE tonight.

lynnemc

well actually Tosh I boxed for Ireland against China 3 years ago in Dungarvan and there was a great action shot of my male clubmate on the cover of the Munster the next week...
last week's boxing was a full house out in the WIT sports hall with Olympic boxing captain Darren O'Neill one of the bill topper so it was a big night for Waterford amateur boxing !

foobally

What kinda stuff would ye have them reporting? How much really goes on in Waterford anyway?

Hoffmans

deisemum wrote: »

It was covered on the 9pm news on RTE tonight.

It sure was ,they were suspended from hiring slaves/Erm...interns for two months,
And permanently from taking photraghpy ones ever again.....
As the one they took on was coercied into 60 hr weeks...even tho there was no photographer in the company to be an intern under......

Dicky Pride

Will the news and star cover it I wonder

Hoffmans

Well they should in fairness like themselves the Munsterexpress have been printing peoples dirty laundry re:courts for years
The walshes should be named and shamed after all the buck stops with them in this case of IMO slave labour...

shockwave

Dicky Pride wrote: »

Will the news and star cover it I wonder

They buried it on page 22, small little story barely worth printing :rolleyes:

Dicky Pride

shockwave wrote: »

They buried it on page 22, small little story barely worth printing :rolleyes:

haha well I don't think it was front page news tbh