Spectator and The Economist

[Hosenbugler]

Does anyone subscribe to either, (or both) of these publications?.

I'm up to my back teeth with hysterical media so going back to print. I don't need a daily paper, the only daily info I need is financial, and that is supplied by numerous sites.

So these two are getting my attention as a potential source for weekly news.

Would just like to hear peoples experience of either or both.

[Digga]

Both prone to their own brands of hyperbole, sadly. Economist is not bad, but runs a lot of stuff along anti-Brexit propaganda lines.

[Looket]

The Economist backed Angela Merkel for UN Secretary General. They are on my black list.

[bodhi]

As mentioned on the other thread I've found myself drawn more and more to The Spectator - focuses less on the news and more on the interpretation and opions round the news. What I really like about it is you tend to get arguments from both sides of the coin, the articles appear very well researched and are good for challenging your normal thinking.

[knk]

The Spectator is really high quality writing and its biases are overt and up-front.

[Collectingbrass]

Depending on your point of view you might find Private Eye worth a look as well (or instead)

[Digga]

Collectingbrass said:

Depending on your point of view you might find Private Eye worth a look as well (or instead)

I do love Private Eye, but find the proliferation of 'stories that make you grind your teeth and boil your piss' wearing. Well written, but just depressing on a certain level.

[Dr Jekyll]

bodhi said:

As mentioned on the other thread I've found myself drawn more and more to The Spectator - focuses less on the news and more on the interpretation and opions round the news. What I really like about it is you tend to get arguments from both sides of the coin, the articles appear very well researched and are good for challenging your normal thinking.

+1

Used to subscribe to the Economist, now to the Spectator.

[chris watton]

Yes, The Spectator seems to be quite balanced, which is all I want - views and opinions from all sides, not just one.

[The Don of Croy]

Collectingbrass said:

Depending on your point of view you might find Private Eye worth a look as well (or instead)

Still like the 'fake news' satirical section - I've been reading it for too long.

Trouble is, once I became old and farty I suddenly realised there were a few articles on items I actually knew something about. And they were wrong. Very wrong. Like 180 degrees from the truth.

And so I had to wonder just how much of the stuff they publish is legit, as opposed to 'whistleblowers' leaking stuff to score points off their former colleagues or people they've fallen out with.

[Digga]

The Don of Croy said:

Trouble is, once I became old and farty I suddenly realised there were a few articles on items I actually knew something about. And they were wrong. Very wrong. Like 180 degrees from the truth.

And so I had to wonder just how much of the stuff they publish is legit, as opposed to 'whistleblowers' leaking stuff to score points off their former colleagues or people they've fallen out with.

I always worried that there might be a "throw enough st and we'll never get called on most of it" element to it. They're no strangers to the libel courts either, although that's often more a case of upsetting people with deeper pockets, rather than actually being totally 'wrong'.

[Hosenbugler]

Digga said:

Collectingbrass said:

Depending on your point of view you might find Private Eye worth a look as well (or instead)

I do love Private Eye, but find the proliferation of 'stories that make you grind your teeth and boil your piss' wearing. Well written, but just depressing on a certain level.

I've visited the Eye a number of times in the past, and found that eventually it got on my nerves. I dunno why, but maybe it comes across as being a bit smug at times

[brenflys777]

I used to subscribe to the Telegraph iPad edition. I've recently started subscribing to "Readly" app. It gives access to the Spectator as well as countless car mags etc

The Spectator fills in where the as it happens news leaves off. With so much news available instantly, Newspapers and their internet editions are both out of date and often knee jerk shallow. The Spectator seems to be doing a better job than most of offering disparate viewpoints without an editorial agenda or message to project.

[Hosenbugler]

bodhi said:

As mentioned on the other thread I've found myself drawn more and more to The Spectator - focuses less on the news and more on the interpretation and opions round the news. What I really like about it is you tend to get arguments from both sides of the coin, the articles appear very well researched and are good for challenging your normal thinking.

Thats basically the impression I've been getting from the digging I've been doing. Interesting to see somebody come out with the same observations.

[Twilkes]

Private Eye got the MMR thing very wrong, in hindsight. But I do like that they print a fair amount of third party criticism/correction about them on their letters page (and not just the 'cancel my subscription' stuff).

[Yipper]

The Economist was the best magazine on Earth, until it changed editors a year or so ago and lurched to the hard-left. It was always factual and neutral. But it has become as bad as the Guardian in recent months. The articles have become about virtue-signalling to other smug lefties, rather than providing impartial analysis. So, if you want something politically or culturally neutral, best to look elsewhere now.

[JagLover]

Hosenbugler said:

Does anyone subscribe to either, (or both) of these publications?.

I'm up to my back teeth with hysterical media so going back to print. I don't need a daily paper, the only daily info I need is financial, and that is supplied by numerous sites.

So these two are getting my attention as a potential source for weekly news.

Would just like to hear peoples experience of either or both.

Subscribe to Both

If you are fed up with hysterical media then you wont want to see the Economist reaction to both Brexit and Trump.

I am in a similar boat to you in that I don't need daily news. I also get the Sunday Times as that has some decent columnists (some of which it shares with the Spectator)

I would say that both are well worth subscribing too, but that the Economist is not what it was in the 1990s (when I started reading it).

[iphonedyou]

Absolutely adore both The Spectator and Private Eye.

Love nothing more than getting on a flight with a copy of both, getting a little squiffy on red wine and reading away.

[Hosenbugler]

JagLover said:

I am in a similar boat to you in that I don't need daily news. I also get the Sunday Times as that has some decent columnists (some of which it shares with the Spectator)

Thats a good point concerning the Sunday Times , one I had not thought of. I've not read it regularly for years , I think I'll grab a copy at the weekend, re-aquaint myself . Have to see if I can grab a copy of the Spectator as well, interesting.

[Digga]

Hosenbugler said:

JagLover said:

I am in a similar boat to you in that I don't need daily news. I also get the Sunday Times as that has some decent columnists (some of which it shares with the Spectator)

Thats a good point concerning the Sunday Times , one I had not thought of. I've not read it regularly for years , I think I'll grab a copy at the weekend, re-aquaint myself . Have to see if I can grab a copy of the Spectator as well, interesting.

I don't read much of it, but Mrs Digga occasionally buys it (I think mainly for the Sudoku and colour mags) but when I have time and opportunity, I do love to read Rod Liddle. He seldom fails to make me chuckle - he writes for the Spectator too.