independent.ie & their pushing of "Celebrity" news

neris

I havent bought an INM paper in years but regularly go onto indpendent.ie to see news headlines but over the last few months the main news items they seem to be pushing are lazy articles about Z list celebrities that no one really cares about. They were so desperate for content this weekend that they resorted to an article on Miriam OCallaghans daughter & Catherine Thomas getting selfies with Matt LeBlanc off Top Gear. Is this really the level of journalism that we are expecting now a days?

Lux23

You don't have to read it. I very rarely visit independent.ie for this very reason, I can handle the celeb news about actual celebs but the stories about people who aren't even famous irk me.

Harry Palmr

The indo is simply the Irish Mail every day now rather than just on Sunday which was once the case (and even then less so than it is now).

I'll point you towards this well timed article in the guardian

http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2016/apr/19/irish-investigative-reporter-lashes-media-bosses-for-newsroom-timidity

Elmo

It's a case of filling up entertainment sections.

But they are other more annoying aspects to online publishing.

Adverts that suggest you might be interested in celeb countdowns, the Twitter article, the video description article, the article about an interview on TV or radio about an article, the blown out of proportion article on social media outrage, the mother's faux outrage about something someone said about their cherished one.

CelticRambler

They also seem to have a thing about portraying Ireland/Dublin as the most violent hell-hole in Europe (possibly the world), compounded by a shortage of vocabulary. If a story's worth reporting, it's either shocking, horrific or tragic.

Googling "tragic site:independent.ie" reveals the horrifying levels of illiteracy amongst tragic indo copywriters. Shocking, really.

Oh, and they have an unhealthy (even shocking) relationship with vertical videos. That's tragic too.

(Still, at least the online site make a persuasive case for not parting with hard cash to buy the hard copy. )

jack presley

They seem obsessed with both Kathryn Thomas and Rosanna Davison for some reason. I used to respect the Indo (a good few years back mind you) but when stories on the weekend breaks away that these two took started appearing every second week, I knew it was time to get my news elsewhere.

Jayop

It's a joke of a paper/website as is their sister site in the North the Bel Tel. Trying to dumb down and distract the populace with this no-body celebrity crap annoys the hell out of me.

uvox

Barry Egan proving the hypothesis today:

Blaise O'Donnell back on the singles market after split with new boyfriend

http://www.independent.ie/style/celebrity/celebrity-news/blaise-odonnell-back-on-the-singles-market-after-split-with-new-boyfriend-34716055.html

Clonmel1000

Also obsessed with rugby players and their no mark wags.

neris

Their "hilarious" & "amazing" euro 2016 stories are getting a bit tedious now aswell. Their latest "wow" being fan with a horse mask kicks ball through open window

IRE60

What’s really getting on my nerves is the ‘link bating’ – stories with sensational headlines in a small panel like “Attempted abduction on way to School” – on clicking the story and you find, in the last paragraph, that the incident happened in a town in Uzbekistan.

Its “tragic”.

neris

Cracking journalism again from the Indo. They didnt even bother to check the clock or google maps never mind the facts

The delay has already forced fans to miss flight connections as they bid to reach the north eastern French city in time for this evening's crunch Euro 2016 game.

According to google maps its 130k between Lile & Brussels

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/plane-packed-with-bitterly-disappointed-irish-euro-2016-fans-fails-to-take-off-from-dublin-airport-34822753.html

jack presley

They must be running out out of celebrity weddings to report on as earlier in the week they'd resorted to 'friend's of celebrities' weddings as they were reporting on Kearney the rugby player going to one of his mate's wedding.

RabbleRouser2k

The one's that really just make me laugh...no wait, I mean scream internally, are the 'Throwback Thursday'...to the meteors 10 years ago-or when Denis O'Brien started Digifone-including the obligatory 'posing with Glenda Gilson' image. (Now there's one they just never let up on...a terrible model, and a terrible presenter more famous for her Johnny Ronan dating than anything. BOD dodged a bullet there). Painful.
They lament the fact that they haven't anyone to cover, and that all the clubs they used to photograph 'celebrities' went bust, closed down, or were turned into takeaways.
The Blaise O'Donnell article was just...god, if I was a journalist, I would cringe at my computer having to type that article, blood pouring from my eyes...the daughter of a family that are bankrupt and they're like 'she's single fellas-come and get it'. Included is a badly photoshopped image of her as they try to make her look thin.
It's sadly not just the indo, however, that's going down hill-if you look at sites like Huffington Post, you see some genuine 'are you kidding me?' articles that just make many people, me included, cringe. (A recent article denouncing a Jimmy Kimmel interview with a pregnant Megan Fox is a good example. Huffpo tweeted at him, linking to the article, which was already badly written and researched, and Kimmel responded 'Dear Huffpo, MEgan approved questions beforehand, now F*** off.' It was the only response recommended.) Couple that with questionable reporters, and articles, and the Indo has a kindred spirit.
That said, when can we get rid of Amanda Brunker-she was the reason I never want to read the Sunday World ever again, and now shes in the Indo--a ticket to Mars wouldn't get me away from her, I fear.

dhaughton99

Amy Hubberman.

Harry Palmr

No need to swear.

jack presley

Another sign of their push towards tabloid/celebrity obsession is their use of the word 'star'.

Yesterday there was a girl up in court for something who happened to have played camogie for Westmeath and the heading was 'GAA Star...". Really? No offence to Westmeath's fine camogie team but playing for them hardly makes you a star.

They've done similar stuff before when there's been a tragedy with someone dying or being seriously hurt and they say call him a GAA star. Then you read the article and it was a bloke who played senior football for his local club or something.

FewFew

Ah sure aren't they all stars in the eyes of their mammys

RabbleRouser2k

They sure do love talking to Vogue-Vogue didn't get the Dancing with the Stars gig, Vogue lands a gig on the Jump, Vogue was on a revenge porn site (image photoshopped), Vogue congratulates Brian McFadden on new relationship-Vogue prefers marmalade over JAm...

One of those I made up, but I doubt anyone can tell the difference-it's not as if the Independent is a well regarded tabloid.

IRE60

RabbleRouser2k wrote: »

One of those I made up, but I doubt anyone can tell the difference-it's not as if the Independent is a well regarded tabloid.

I'll go for "Vogue was on a revenge porn site".

But you missed the obvious fake: "People care what happens Vogue"

RabbleRouser2k

IRE60 wrote: »

I'll go for "Vogue was on a revenge porn site".

But you missed the obvious fake: "People care what happens Vogue"

Sadly, the revenge porn one was real...just a silly photoshopped image.

Oh, the tragedy-love how she credits herself as a model and presenter...nope, nope.

Elmo

Fake real so? something that didn't happen but happened but not really. Photoshop for all your needs!

so she doesn't like jam!

RabbleRouser2k

Elmo wrote: »

Fake real so? something that didn't happen but happened but not really. Photoshop for all your needs!

so she doesn't like jam!

Yeah, photoshopped her head onto someone elses body. Crazy silly stuff.