Does the Irish Times have a future?

MrAbyss · 25-11-2019 9:01pm #1

Fair enough, it has always had something of a snobbish reputation, but at least in the past they had a decent level of journalism who often highlighted important issues.

At the moment, it basically echoes government policy and the usual MSM globalism mandates. They recently ran a series of opinion pieces on 'old white men who are scared of Greta Thunberg' style tripe and proceeded to elevated this annoying Verruca Salt to the level of a great statesPEOPLEKIND and the saviour of humanity. This is pretty much the kind of world the IT functions within these days. It's not even meaningful or vital journalism. They do features on sexual abuse of women and forget to mention that they had an insatiable pedophile employed on their Sports pages for years grooming young girls through his endless fawning over the Dublin camogie scene.

I look at The Guardian now - reduced to having a PayPal donations button to stay afloat as advertisers have long since abandoned it - and I wonder how soon before this is the fate of the Irish Times?

The Rape of Lucretia · 25-11-2019 10:15pm

MrAbyss wrote: »

At the moment, it basically echoes government policy

I think you are just looking at this the wrong way. If such a quality newspaper is so in sync with government policy, it a very strong indicator that the government is doing the right thing.

Church on Tuesday · 25-11-2019 10:34pm

It's relentless attacking of men is something to behold.

It can go do one.

Sunny Disposition · 25-11-2019 10:43pm

Think it is profitable again and has got a lot of digital subscribers now.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 25-11-2019 10:50pm

It's circulation is holding better than most papers here.

I find the analysis comprehensive and relatively open minded on home and international issues.

Great crossword too.

jack presley · 25-11-2019 10:51pm

I’m a subscriber but don’t get their obsession with Irish people living abroad and foreign people living here.

Your Face · 25-11-2019 10:52pm

Well it always had a suspect history being the newspaper of record during the British administration.

Recently it's just the drizzling ****s. Just another rag pandering to the current whims.
Suppose that's how you make the moolah.

HorrorScope · 25-11-2019 10:53pm

Nope, Irish Times and The Guardian are going to
find out sooner rather than later that Get Woke = Go Broke

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 25-11-2019 10:56pm

'Yes Minister'
Jim Hacker: Don't tell me about the press. I know exactly who reads the papers. The Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country; The Guardian is read by people who think they ought to run the country; The Times is read by the people who actually do run the country; the Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country; the Financial Times is read by people who own the country; the Morning Star is read by people who think the country ought to be run by another country, and the Daily Telegraph is read by people who think it is.

Sir Humphrey: Prime Minister, what about the people who read The Sun?

Bernard: Sun readers don't care who runs the country, as long as she's got big ****.

touts · 25-11-2019 11:37pm

I'd say it's the best positioned of the Irish papers to survive. It has the most affluent readership. Come the next recession the mindless tabloids will cease to exist as their readers will get the same gossip and soccer coverage online for free. The Independent is on life support and will go under once Redacted stops pumping money he doesn't have into them to support a reputation he equally doesn't have.

Upforthematch · 25-11-2019 11:43pm

I think the Irish Times has a future. There's a lot of potential there.

However, in more recent times it's gotten a lot 'lighter', less content and less substance.

Unless you're interested in feminist coverage... significant increase in feminist viewpoints in recent years.

Sky King · 26-11-2019 12:15am

Loads more spelling and grammatical errors on their online version I've noticed. Simple stuff any editor should spot. Not sure why this is.

misterme123 · 26-11-2019 12:36am

Not as bad as the independent but still full of garbage. Una Mullally anyone?

Richard Hillman · 26-11-2019 12:44am

The problem is when you go down the ultra woke approach, you are one article away losing a ****e load of readers and they'll keep on losing readers for every tiny faux-pas they commit against their precious readership.

It will be gone eventually.

sabat · 26-11-2019 12:51am

The Irish Times is already busto; what you're reading is a front for the property/legal/academia/ngo establishment status quo funded by property advertising. Without myhome.ie they would have folded several years ago

branie2 · 26-11-2019 12:54am

I hope it does

Arghus · 26-11-2019 1:20am

Still a pretty good paper in my view. I don't agree with every last little thing they put in it, but that's okay. Can be overly Dublin focused at Times. Can be a bit content to stick to the middle on issues, but I think, overall, it's one of the best news sources in the country.

I wonder how many of the people who love to slag it actually read any of it? People like to talk about Úna Mullally, but let's not forget the paper also gives coloumn inches to Breda O' Brien.

It's also one of the major media institutions in the country that isn't controlled by Denis O' Brien, people calling it a rag and all that nonsense, should consider the alternative of one very powerful individual having control of the Irish media and be thankful that there's still a few dissenting voices out there.

I'd imagine it'll keep trucking along for a while yet. I think it's done well with subscriber numbers.

Accepting Cookies · 26-11-2019 9:59am

Richard Hillman wrote: »

The problem is when you go down the ultra woke approach, you are one article away losing a ****e load of readers and they'll keep on losing readers for every tiny faux-pas they commit against their precious readership.

It will be gone eventually.

Can I ask what is wrong being woke, especially super woke? I think what you're getting at is that they're doing it wrong somehow... could you clarify your point?

(Woke: alert to injustice in society, especially racism)

JohnnyFlash · 26-11-2019 10:03am

touts wrote: »

I'd say it's the best positioned of the Irish papers to survive. It has the most affluent readership. Come the next recession the mindless tabloids will cease to exist as their readers will get the same gossip and soccer coverage online for free. The Independent is on life support and will go under once Redacted stops pumping money he doesn't have into them to support a reputation he equally doesn't have.

You on about Denis O’B, mate? He doesn’t own Independent News and Media anymore. Owned by a Belgian/Dutch firm called Mediahuis.

meeeeh · 26-11-2019 10:14am

It has better chance than a lot of other traditional media publications. Guardian doesn't want to go behind the paywall like Telegraph or The Times in UK or IT in Ireland but I think they actually posted a small profit last year. The so called woke readers probably have a bit more buying power.

ELM327 · 26-11-2019 10:20am

Upforthematch wrote: »

I think the Irish Times has a future. There's a lot of potential there.

However, in more recent times it's gotten a lot 'lighter', less content and less substance.

Unless you're interested in feminist coverage... significant increase in feminist viewpoints in recent years.

I think unfortunately this is the way certain waves of society are going
I didnt think the IT would be affected.

You'd start to think they envision a world where being a straight white male is a criminal offence. Almost a reverse dystopian universe from the handmaid's tale.

nthclare · 26-11-2019 10:22am

The Irish Time's haven't much of a grasp of the past and present, so I don't think there's much hope for the future...

Chris_Heilong · 26-11-2019 10:33am

When any media starts starts using post modernism theory in its articles you know it is time to stop reading it, I blame twitter for breeding these stupid ideas and you will find most journalists are avid twitter fans.

mariaalice · 26-11-2019 10:34am

How come poster only see the woke stuff, it's got good business, political, sports reporting even the property analysis is good.

I like Dermot Ferriter and Frank McNally.

The Saturday magazine is gone off bit alright too many food-related items.

Sunny Disposition · 26-11-2019 10:35am

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/the-irish-times-reports-5-2-rise-in-operating-profit-1.3964020
I'd say this is the most secure media outlet of all in Ireland. The paying digital subscribers means its future is not in doubt. There is probably not another newspaper in Ireland that this is true of.

topper75 · 26-11-2019 10:36am

jack presley wrote: »

I’m a subscriber but don’t get their obsession with Irish people living abroad and foreign people living here.

And those foreign people living here aren't the ordinary decent mind-their-own-businesss Joes that I end up working with. It is always axe-grinding aspiring 'victim olympics' types.

Accepting Cookies wrote: »

Can I ask what is wrong being woke, especially super woke? I think what you're getting at is that they're doing it wrong somehow... could you clarify your point?

(Woke: alert to injustice in society, especially racism)

Because it fails to focus on the real Irish issues of the day. No reading interest for the average man in the street.

mariaalice · 26-11-2019 10:47am

topper75 wrote: »

And those foreign people living here aren't the ordinary decent mind-their-own-businesss Joes that I end up working with. It is always axe-grinding aspiring 'victim olympics' types.

Because it fails to focus on the real Irish issues of the day. No reading interest for the average man in the street.

Even the sport, political or bussines reporting?.

Showing my age here but to me, there is nothing better than whileing away an hour in a cafe with a coffee and the paper.

Accepting Cookies · 26-11-2019 10:48am

topper75 wrote: »

And those foreign people living here aren't the ordinary decent mind-their-own-businesss Joes that I end up working with. It is always axe-grinding aspiring 'victim olympics' types.

Because it fails to focus on the real Irish issues of the day. No reading interest for the average man in the street.

Sorry but, who says what is interesting reading for the 'average' man or woman in the street, you?

whisky_galore · 26-11-2019 11:00am

Rarely bought newspapers and don't buy them at all now.
Huge chunks I have zero interest in and not going to read, seems a waste of money to me.

the beer revolu · 26-11-2019 11:04am

topper75 wrote: »

Because it fails to focus on the real Irish issues of the day. No reading interest for the average man in the street.

There's the Irish Mail for you.

JohnnyFlash · 26-11-2019 11:09am

I like it and buy it a few times a week. I’m so privileged though that I can just ignore the work of columnists I don’t like - Una Mullally, Sean Moncrieff etc. Find not reading their columns a really effective way of not getting annoyed by their opinions.

mariaalice · 26-11-2019 11:12am

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

I like it and buy it a few times a week. I’m so privileged though that I can just ignore the work of columnists I don’t like - Una Mullally, Sean Moncrieff etc. Find not reading their columns a really effective way of not getting annoyed by their opinions.

I think you are suppose to get annoyed by columnists.

Told before but way back in the dark ages also known as the 1980s the Daily mail have a very ant Irish bias and I knew someone who used to buy it and read it just to get annoyed and worked up about that.

IAMAMORON · 26-11-2019 11:16am

I have a subscription. As long as people are reading news and current affairs they should be fine. All papers need to roll with their punches in current times.

The magazine on Saturday has gone to the dogs. Far too much of a female persuasion to it, apart from the ross o carroll kelly prose and the tv listings the rest is garbage. Dull affected restaurant reviews and some god awful recipes, who is eating half of that crap i have no idea. Overall the magazine is really really bland.

the beer revolu · 26-11-2019 11:20am

mariaalice wrote: »

I think you are suppose to get annoyed by columnists.

Told before but way back in the dark ages also known as the 1980s the Daily mail have a very ant Irish bias and I knew someone who used to buy it and read it just to get annoyed and worked up about that.

I get Alive (extremist, free Catholic monthly paper) posted through my letterbox. I put it in the loo and read it cover to cover - mostly to get mildly outraged. It's also good to know what these people are up to.

zenith · 26-11-2019 11:32am

touts wrote: »

The Independent is on life support and will go under once Redacted stops pumping money he doesn't have into them to support a reputation he equally doesn't have.

A textbook case of needing to read a newspaper every so often, there, Touts. You’re way behind.

KWAG2019 · 26-11-2019 11:57am

Unless they clone Ruth Dudley Edwards and Shane Ross, no.

elperello · 26-11-2019 12:11pm

It's the best paper in Ireland with the Examiner in second place.
I don't really rate the rest.
Most of it's detractors don't read it except for bits online which they get for nothing.
I'd say it has a future now that the finances are in better order.

Geuze · 26-11-2019 12:37pm

jack presley wrote: »

I’m a subscriber but don’t get their obsession with Irish people living abroad and foreign people living here.

Yes, good point.

Is it just me, or does the IT dislike Ireland?

Self-loathing?

elperello · 26-11-2019 12:42pm

Geuze wrote: »

Yes, good point.

Is it just me, or does the IT dislike Ireland?

Self-loathing?

I'd rather see it as the IT challenges Ireland.
I don't buy a paper to reflect my view of life.
I want to read articles and news items that inform and make me think.

Bandana boy · 26-11-2019 12:54pm

Every year they cut more and more costs to try and make the thing solvent , this cannot continue and either they find a new revenue stream to start investing or they fold.

It will be a shame as I always liked the paper , but it was also a shame when the likes of Waterstones shuttered but we move on.

Mad_maxx · 26-11-2019 1:06pm

its the labour party of newspapers , socialism with a nice address

RTE is the labour party of TV channels

HorrorScope · 26-11-2019 1:09pm

elperello wrote: »

I'd rather see it as the IT challenges Ireland.
I don't buy a paper to reflect my view of life.
I want to read articles and news items that inform and make me think.

What exactly do you think it challenges in any aspect? It's basically a safe space newspaper - there are no opinions of any sort held outside of the general soft minded groupthink, it's as far left as you can get and they seem to hate men for some reason. It's a rag in other words..

Brussels Sprout · 26-11-2019 1:23pm

There appears to be a lot of people in here crowing about the demise of this paper and pinning it on the fact that it doesn't share their own personal brand of politics. The reality is that the entirety of print media is on its knees. Every week you'll see a journalist tweet out something like:

After X years at Y publication I'm moving on for pastures new. Very excited for the future

The solution to the Irish Times problems isn't to stop writing articles about Greta Thunberg or Direct provision centres - The Irish Times has always been a left of centre paper. It's to get people to pay for their content. The thing is that nobody else has figured out how to do this in a sustainable way so we're going to continue to see publications go to the wall.

BeerWolf · 26-11-2019 1:28pm

Give them a break!

tritium · 26-11-2019 1:46pm

I dont think it can decide if it wants to be a newspaper or a series of option pieces. For the last few years it’s spent too much time trying to preach to readers how they should be. In doing so it’s alienated a large chunk of people who won’t be going back. They seem to have done this to appeal to a demographic that’s younger and has money but the question is will that demographic stick with them in the long term- I suspect it won’t and the IT will spend the next few years trying a series of reinventions as it jumps on bandwagons that might give it some traction. If it survives I suspect it will be more a case of limping along than steaming ahead, though most print media may face a similar future

26-11-2019 1:57pm

The Irish Times is the most reputable national newspaper, after the Indo spiralled into the gutter. Particularly enjoy Frank McNally's contributions, always learn something new. As other posters have stated, it's not difficult to ignore the minority of polemicists trying to engineer clickbait.

I, among with many others, have subscribed to the Irish Times. Of course it has a viable future.

elperello · 26-11-2019 2:31pm

HorrorScope wrote: »

What exactly do you think it challenges in any aspect? It's basically a safe space newspaper - there are no opinions of any sort held outside of the general soft minded groupthink, it's as far left as you can get and they seem to hate men for some reason. It's a rag in other words..

I guess you are not a subscriber then.
Group think, man hating left wing rag does not describe the paper I read.

26-11-2019 4:28pm

I was a subscriber for many years. It used to be the best paper in Ireland, but.. as others have said, the male bashing got somewhat offensive and very tiresome. I wouldn't be bothered by the odd article every few months (that's usual everywhere), but it's become far more than that. I cancelled my subscription a few months back.

JoseJones · 26-11-2019 4:47pm

Incidentally, how did you cancel your subscription? Do you have to phone them up?

Arghus · 26-11-2019 4:54pm

HorrorScope wrote: »

What exactly do you think it challenges in any aspect? It's basically a safe space newspaper - there are no opinions of any sort held outside of the general soft minded groupthink, it's as far left as you can get and they seem to hate men for some reason. It's a rag in other words..

You are talking absolute nonsense mate.

It's nowhere near "as far left as you can get", to claim that shows you don't really know what you are talking about.

topper75 · 26-11-2019 5:00pm

Accepting Cookies wrote: »

Sorry but, who says what is interesting reading for the 'average' man or woman in the street, you?

No I have no need to be the arbiter of that at all.

But to be commercially successful, the Irish Times does.

The figures say they are not.

Does the Irish Times have a future?

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