POLL: Why do people read the Mail?
Today’s article about the Mail on Sunday investigation into the origins of the ‘feminist’ t-shirts has prompted strong reactions.
This raises an interesting question: Why do people read that MoS, and its stablemate the Daily Mail, at all?
Is it the current version of what The Sun was, back in the 1980s, when an estimated 60 per cent of readers picked it up only in order to disagree violently with its politics?
Or what? One answer I’ve added refers to the controversy over the Mail website’s addiction to publishing photos of semi-naked women down the right-hand sidebar.
If you think I should include a different answer, send it here in a comment and I’ll see if I can modify the poll.
[polldaddy poll=8418425]Follow me on Twitter: @MidWalesMike
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
asking the searching questions!
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
It’s rare, but occasionally the Daily Wail as I call it does wail about the right things, and I like Peter Hitchens’s column as well.
Like Thomas M I often find Peter Hitchen’s column interesting. I often half-agree with a lot of his ideas and he is relentlessly consistent in following a half sensible concern through to a bonkers conclusion!
Because it’s free on the iPad and smart phones, I DEFINATELY wouldn’t pay for it lol.
I think there should be an option which says “It pays to know what your enemy is thinking” rather than “I disagree violently with the political opinions it expresses”. It’s closer to the truth.
There you go – it should be there now.
I’d prefer “It pays to know what your enemy is thinking, but I never actually BUY the filthy rag”.
The Mail is strange. While usually seriously bigoted and far-right, very occasionally it has an article I can agree with whole heartedly. Just been reading one from two years ago that’s been going around today – suggesting that low intelligence correlates with right wing and bigoted views. Simply don’t expect the Mail to publish something like that.
But for every one article like that there are a hundred, maybe even a thousand, bigoted, proto-fascist articles. The only thing worse in the UK is The S*n.
In a way I think I read it because it makes me feel morally superior to most who comment on the articles. Where these mean spirited hate raddled commentators reside is beyond me. Are there cellars and drains full of nasty minded trolls whose sole aim in life is to denigrate and deride everything from Prince George to the latest viral cat video..
I always make sure I have a palate and brain cleansing read of the Guardian before I go to sleep, otherwise like eating cheese before bed time who knows what terrible mail driven nightmares might be forthcoming………..
How about a “Don’t read such a rag” as an option so that we who don’t read it can see the results :)
Where was the option : I don’t read comics any more because I’m a grown-up and know a rag when I see one.
Hoi! There are a lot of very good comics out there!
I know what you mean, though – and I’ve just included an option for people who don’t read it at all.
Yep, Good idea to know your enemy and get the real tory ideological eugenics agenda out in the public domain. If I want to know what yellow dems are upto steal a copy of the Knitters Weekly
Too many people that oppose it, feed the monster – the Daily Mail is an attention seeking whore (it’s basically Katie Hopkins in paper form) – ignore it! Don’t give them increased hits, more ad revenue and extra comments (which boost unique content) – just boycott it!
I try not to acknowledge the existence of this creature known as Hopkins. Otherwise: agreed.
I recommend the wonderful firefox/ chrome addon ‘kitten block’ – it prevents you from accidentally opening a link to the Daily Mail (or Daily Express).
The problem is, without the Daily Fail, the working class Tories would have nothing to read!
“Working Class” tories?
Yes, people who vote Conservative despite being the very kind who are habitually victimised by Tories. There will be many who will have lost £1,600 per year because of Tory-led cuts who still vote for them next May – adamantly refusing even to listen to the evidence that the Tories have lied to them, taken their money and given it to the rich.
If you feed rags! They become richer in there cloking. Disposing of paper blinkers; can help’ Strip them of there “Agenda”. comics for the puppet controlers.
Other toilet papers are cheaper and softer.
plus you don’t get print on your a**!!
My answer, which should probably be added to the poll, is:
I clicked on a link, found out it was the Mail, bailed and told myself “I must not fall for click-bait” again.
I sometimes have a peek a the mail. Its a sort of mental cognition test.If I ever start to agree with their usual right wing tory trash I hope to be aware enough to get myself off to the Drs ASAP. Always assuming I can get a GP appointment.
OK the five people so far who read it for the young scantily clad women……shame on you! Although i will say I find your honesty refreshing!
My wife buys it for the crossword, I cut that page out for her and then use the rest to start the log burner, goes up like hell !!
Does anyone think some of the Daily Fail comments are manufactured? Some of the language used just sounds kinda erm trollish (for lack of a better word)?
Some comments at the top have thousands of likes in a very short space of time?.
They are normally comments bashing immigrants or Milliband etc. Then on other comments they seem genuine and don’t get as much likes. Hmm..
I always like to see what they are up to and who is the victim of the day.. ;)
I read it so I can laugh at how the “best rated” for any article that has Fester McVile or Iddiot Drunktard Smythee (IDS) making any kind of pronouncement invariably slags them off something chronic, both attacking the message and the persons… tho mainly attacking IDS for being a cockwomble and F McVile for being his ***ch and that any pronouncement by them must be a load of bull***t and factually deficient. Its very strange to read DM’ers really really hating two of the most rabidly right wing MP’s and siding with both the disabled and the unemployed against the two people who have done nothing but denigrate the people they are charged with “helping” by way of the appointments they have been given. While the very right wing MP’s of the party love IDS and McVile, the Right wing DM reader hates them both… so confusing.
The only time the best rated for IDS or F.mcV agree with them is when they also contain anything to do with Nick Clagnuts at which point the poor DM readers heads must nearly explode with the fact that it does their heads in having to both like something IDS F McV have said while at the same time agreeing that Clagnuts is a wa**er..
Great article in the new statesmen: http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/steven-baxter/2011/02/daily-mail-website-angry-views
OLD article from the New Statesman. Fair point, I suppose, but when so many people are clicking on it, it’s just as well to address what is being said and counter it. You’ll notice that my articles specifically aren’t full of liberal hand-wringing; they’re about why the Mail is wrong.