Bring Back the Broadsheet!

Can you count the things the liberals would object to in the image of the old Scotsman?

1) Harold Macmillan
2) A judge’s wig
3) The Pope
4) 12-year sentence for spy traitor

I never was fully comfortable with reading newspapers except on Sunday, when I took the liberty of spreading it on the coffee table in the family room. Otherwise, on buses or park benches, I found it a bit cumbersome to read — It certainly requires a bit of skill to flip it and fold it. The worst part is when a newspaper has sections (which tend to fall out) or when a story is scattered over several non-sequential and disjointed pages.

Thus, for most things, I’ve preferred journals and magazines, for both news/business and pleasure reading.

But this is not to say that I will accept tabloid journalism. (I spent too many years as editor of a few publications for that.) I hate how ‘newspapers’ today feel as if becoming more ‘relaxed’ and ‘user-friendly’ also translates to relaxing the standards of journalistic integrity and prioritization of news reports. Let alone their blatant disregard for the economic use of ink! I call to mind several New York papers (with which I’m sure you’re well aquainted) as prime examples of what should not be done. These, and the new Scotsman shown above, exemplify how sensationalism and novelty have trumped good sense and tradition.

And thus, cumbersomeness aside, I much prefer the old broadsheet.

Note the headline at the bottom of Page One of the fine old broadsheet:

“Pope Paul likely to be more cautious.”

That story must have been missed by his liturgists.

A rather unfortunate choice of photo for your ‘broad mind’ comment!

I foolishly didn’t think anyone would recognise him, Stuart!

Come back and save the Scotsman Mr. C. Its not too late, yet. I could see you working in the old offices on North Bridge. I spent the night there once and very nice it was, but it would be splendid to see it used for the paper again.

When the more recent Irish Independent are put on the Irish Newspaper Archive website the broadsheet size will be put up as main paper while the tabloid will be put up as its Metro supplemeant. They are no plans for may be 15- 20 or even 25 years the broadsheet size of Irish Independent will remain in circlelation for years to come since the tabloid version was launched in January 2004. They wont be a Sunday Tabloid for the Irish Independents Sunday Newspaper The Sunday Independent will remain published in broadsheet only for the next number of years but there will a new look Sunday Independent in all broadsheet with not much change as ever.

They are now all more newspaper on the Irish Newspaper Archives website now as The Irish Independent withdrew its Broadsheet last weekend and make the full to change to Tabloid some sections and the Sunday Independent are to remain in broadsheet size.