is the Irish Times viewed as a paper that only "big shots" buy?

Lollipop95 · 07-04-2015 01:40PM #1

Don't know if this is the general public feeling but where I live I would frequently hear people saying that the Irish Times is only a paper that "big shots" (teachers are frequently named in this category) buy. Do you think this is true? Personally, most people I know read the Independent. Only one person I know reads the IT and the person is a former university lecturer, not sure if there's a correlation. So what do you think? Which paper do you read and as a matter of interest, which paper do you think is better - the Times or the Indo?

towelly · 07-04-2015 01:41PM

I've set up Tweetdeck to manage my newsfeed rather than read a newspaper.

smash · 07-04-2015 01:42PM

Teachers are big shots now?

Lollipop95 · 07-04-2015 01:43PM

smash wrote: »

Teachers are big shots now?

people round my area seem to think so anyways!

Corvo · 07-04-2015 01:43PM

I like it, and believe me - I'm no big shot!

The sport section is particularly good, with some great opinion pieces. And the Sunday Times makes for a days reading, across a lot of subjects.

Anyone that criticises anyone who reads the Times as being a big shot are probably the same people who enjoy reading The Sun.

andrew · 07-04-2015 01:44PM

Only in the kind of place where a teacher is considered a 'big shot.'

Turtwig · 07-04-2015 01:44PM

The Irish times is viewed as the paper best highlighting the decline in reputable fact checking journalism.

Menas · 07-04-2015 01:45PM

Lollipop95 wrote: »

people round my area seem to think so anyways !

Is your area the year 1877?

07-04-2015 01:45PM

It costs 2 euro.

Not exactly a private members' club membership

HeidiHeidi · 07-04-2015 01:45PM

Corvo wrote: »

I like it, and believe me - I'm no big shot!

The sport section is particularly good, with some great opinion pieces. And the Sunday Times makes for a days reading, across a lot of subjects.

Anyone that criticises anyone who reads the Times as being a big shot are probably the same people who enjoy reading The Sun.

I read it and I'm DEFINITELY no big shot!

But the Irish Times and the Sunday Times are two completely different publications. Wouldn't rate the ST anywhere near the IT - a couple of good opinion writers that I like, but otherwise it's a broadsheet-sized tabloid IMO.

As regards the IT, I suspect there's a big rural/urband divide.

Lollipop95 · 07-04-2015 01:46PM

a lot of people I know complain about the price of it and claim the Indo is a lot cheaper

Duggy747 · 07-04-2015 01:46PM

I get my news from Weekly World News.

They cover the real hard-hitting stuff like latest updates on Bat Boy's current location.

TwoShedsJackson · 07-04-2015 01:46PM

Lollipop95 wrote: »

Only one person I know reads the IT and the person is a former university lecturer, not sure if there's a correlation.

There isn't. I used to read the Times and I didn't even go to university, never mind lecture in one.

The Indo is a rag of the highest order, just look at the garbage masquerading as news on their site if you need confirmation. Who really gives a flying fu<k at a rolling doughnut what Bressie thinks about anything or who some supposed supermodel is dating, breaking up with or getting married to?

I stopped reading the Times because I realised it was costing me €500 a year to do so, and I could read it for nothing online - then they went to the pay wall so I just don't read it at all, unless I get a look at the copy my boss buys. He has a degree though so maybe there is something to your theory.

I actually find that since I stopped regularly reading news sites and listening to current affairs shows on the radio I'm happier day to day - so much of that stuff is so depressing that I just couldn't really take much more of it.

zl1whqvjs75cdy · 07-04-2015 01:47PM

All (or certainly most) Irish print journalism is gone to the dogs. It used to be semi ok but now its just sensationalist headlines disguising tired and lazy writing. And teachers are not big shots.

mikom · 07-04-2015 01:49PM

Well my puppy made a big shot all over the Irish Times I laid down for him.

syklops · 07-04-2015 01:51PM

mikom wrote: »

Well my puppy made a big shot all over the Irish Times I laid down for him.

Was it a hot shot as well?

Johnnio13 · 07-04-2015 01:51PM

Apart from lacking a red-top the main competition for the Times in Ireland is a sad version of its former self. The articles are badly written with no thought going into them or the articles are just lifted directly from Guardian news-services.
Don't think the Times is for big-shots though. Great sports coverage.

Tarzana2 · 07-04-2015 01:52PM

smash wrote: »

Teachers are big shots now?

Down the country, to a certain generation, yes. My father puts teachers in this category. And nurses. Actually, some teachers of his generation put themselves in this category. I remember waitressing at a catering thing at a teachers conference years ago. The older teacher were as whole a very uppity demographic. Bizarre, but there you go.

mikom · 07-04-2015 01:54PM

mikom wrote: »

Well my puppy made a big shot all over the Irish Times I laid down for him.

syklops wrote: »

Was it a hot shot as well?

Very hot.
It got Breda O'Brien right in her sanctimonious face.......... http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/breda-o-brien-love-is-not-enough-when-it-comes-to-children-s-rights-1.2077548

AndonHandon · 07-04-2015 01:55PM

IT is mainly a Dublin paper. The Indo is a country paper (just compare the property supplements of the two). The Indo is a complete rag with sensationalist, tabloid headlines; since it is for culchies then there must be some correlation.

ScumLord · 07-04-2015 01:57PM

I don't read it and I'm a big shot. I hire my own journalists and send them off around the world to find news and send back personalised reports to me. It's what all the big shots do, we wouldn't be reading the same news that the plebs read.

07-04-2015 01:58PM

Johnnio13 wrote: »

Great sports coverage.

I was with you until this!

The only reason I have ever been tempted to buy the Indo is because of its excellent sports analysis.

With the exceptions of Roddy L'Estrange and Gerry Thornley, the quality of the IT's sports coverage is ferociously weak and erratic.

pixbyjohn · 07-04-2015 01:58PM

Colleges used to get the Times delivered at a cut price. Maybe they still do.When I was working I got the times in college everyday cheaper than I could buy any other newspaper in the shops.

TwoShedsJackson · 07-04-2015 02:00PM

mikom wrote: »

It got Breda O'Brien right in her sanctimonious face...

Has she any other?

Dyr · 07-04-2015 02:02PM

Tarzana2 wrote: »

Down the country, to a certain generation, yes. My father puts teachers in this category. And nurses. Actually, some teachers of his generation put themselves in this category. I remember waitressing at a catering thing at a teachers conference years ago. The older teacher were as whole a very uppity demographic. Bizarre, but there you go.

"A public-house to half a hundred men
And the teacher, the solicitor and the bank-clerk
In the hotel bar drinking for ten. "

that's the culchies for ye alright

harry Bailey esq · 07-04-2015 02:03PM

Turtwig wrote: »

The Irish times is viewed as the paper best highlighting the decline in reputable fact checking journalism.

The Irish 'paper of record' as it likes to be known.It has a great sports section,if you like rugby

it blows the Indo out of the water though.

HeidiHeidi · 07-04-2015 02:06PM

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I was with you until this!

The only reason I have ever been tempted to buy the Indo is because of its excellent sports analysis.

With the exceptions of Roddy L'Estrange and Gerry Thornley, the quality of the IT's sports coverage is ferociously weak and erratic.

It's the only paper in the country that covers my sport of choice!

smash · 07-04-2015 02:07PM

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

It's the only paper in the country that covers my sport of choice!

Zorbing?

Lollipop95 · 07-04-2015 02:10PM

Tarzana2 wrote: »

Down the country, to a certain generation, yes. My father puts teachers in this category. And nurses. Actually, some teachers of his generation put themselves in this category. I remember waitressing at a catering thing at a teachers conference years ago. The older teacher were as whole a very uppity demographic. Bizarre, but there you go.

could well be a Culchie thing then as I'm also from the country

Sleepy · 07-04-2015 02:10PM

It's the nearest thing Ireland has to a daily newspaper.

That's feint praise when the rest are parochial gossip sheets though.

El Weirdo · 07-04-2015 02:11PM

Lollipop95 wrote: »

a lot of people I know complain about the price of it and claim the Indo is a lot cheaper

Oh, it's cheaper alright.

is the Irish Times viewed as a paper that only "big shots" buy?

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