Have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy the New York Sun? It’s wonderful to come home to the Great Metropolis and read a broadsheet that doesn’t come off as sanctimonious and elitist (ahem, überliberal New York Times). I’m beginning to think the Sun may even be better than the Daily Telegraph. After all, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen any articles about ‘Posh and Becks’ in the New York Sun.
Like the Mitre, I dare say, it has a layout that is both contemporary and traditional. (There’s also a definite 1920’s aura to the Sun). And most unlike the Times, it is succint, taking up only twenty-two pages to the Times‘s one-hundred and sixteen. Mind you, I’d be the last to complain if it expanded in size. In fact, it could do to grow to perhaps thirty-something pages. But as our old headmaster used to say, to write, you have to be pompous. You have to believe others ought to be reading what you write. And at one-hundred-sixteen pages daily that means the New York Times is one of the most pompous newspapers around. No shocker there.
Some have complained that the Sun doesn’t use completely original content. Many of their obituaries are lifted from the Telegraph, which has some of the best obituaries in the world. There is a very insightful and amusing collection of thoughts from OpinionJournal.com, the online comment arm of the Wall Street Journal. The oft-printed bits from William F. Buckley, Jr. are, of course, syndicated.
But the parts that are home-grown are very good too. Though the grim visage of neo-conservatism hangs over this paper, the editorials are usually spot-on. They had an editorial yesterday which masterfully made the Secretary-General of the United Nations look like a complete nincompoop which, no doubt, he is. (I doubt anyone but Eugenio Pacelli could reach that level of international diplomacy whilst not achieving nincompoopery). Columnists Alicia Colon and that Errol Whatshisname are informative and interesting reads as well.
So I think that were I forced to compile a list of my favourite newspapers to read, it would go something like this:
1. The New York Sun
2. The Daily Telegraph
3. The New York Observer (weekly)
4. The Scotsman (a damn fine paper)
5. The Financial Times (most likely the best newspaper in the world)
Were there room for two more: Scotland on Sunday for Gerald Warner and the New York Post for it’s jagged populism. As for dead newspapers, I used to love the European in its broadsheet days.
Hi,
I’m an old tranported New Yorker. Love your site.In my younger days I was a member of the Seventh Regiment honor quard.In Oct 1957,Queen Elizabeth reviewed the guard at the Seventh Regiment Armory.There was a picture of me on the front page of the Daily News with the queen.Do you have any suggestions how I might find that picture.Thanks.
Regards
Tom Farrell