Why Has The Independent Newspaper Become So “Unindependent”

Till quite recently the Independent was quite a good newspaper. I would notice at work (where they have many papers) that the Independent would often cover interesting stories that no other paper would (or would at least give barely a mention too).

However recently something started to go wrong where any unusual stuff was usually reserved for the front pages. Now even that’s started to change.
Here’s the “news” titles of the Independent on Saturday June 10th…
1. “England Expects” front page about sport
2. Page 2 and 3: “Over here and overexcited: the English and a league of nations” (more about sport)
3. Page 3 far right “Tiny band of Paraguyans who plan a, big party” (about if England beat Paraguay)
4. Page 4 “World Cup fever in Frankfurt as fans fly the flag”
5. Page 5 “Fancy a spin on the M25? Try 2pm today” (about how the M25 will be empty during the game, what else you can do in the way of Sport, Food, See, and Do when the game is on).

6. Page 6 (advertisement) “Match the Body Part, and Win A Case of Bubbly”
7. Page 7 (Dell advertisement)

Finally!!! None Sport
8. Page 8 “Boy, 15, murdered in street fight is latest victim of knife culture” (hay its stories like that you read the Sun for).
9. Page 9 (lots of stories)
“Thames Water applies for drought order”
“Isle of Wight festival a sell-out”
“Muslim protest over London raid”
“Richard and Judy win tax battle”
“Ross signs £18m deal with BBC”
“Pensioner died after trolley fall”
“Beggar can keep diamond ring”
10. Page 10 “Olmert rejects Abbas plan to boost negations” (something to do with Israeli politics)
“Palestinian killed on Gaza beach by Israeli gunboats” (I saw that on the BBC along with probably most of the country).
11. Page 11 “Celebrities criticised as cost of right to roam law hits £59 million” (P.S did you know the government spends over 420 billion pounds on all services every year?) (thought I would give that to add perspective to this story)
12. Pages 12 and 13: “Summertime’s Travel Tribes” (summer travel advice) (hay you could get out the country and leave the Independent Newspaper behind with you).
13. Page 14: “Deborah Orr The football widow for our times is the sole fan in a house full of men” (Wow!!!)
14. Page 15: “Britain’s most likely: the young actors set for stardom”

P.S On Sunday the independent had the title of “What a Scorcher”. When a so called intellectual newspaper puts a summers hot day on its front page you know something is terribly wrong.


Does this subject belongs under the mind control section? Why has a once grand paper which used to run front page headlines such as “The News You might Have Missed” which was mostly world news you really might have missed as it was at the time of Charles and Camilla’s wedding become so “dumb”.
Has some special interest group bought an influence into the paper?
Are they planning on sacking any staff?

Why has the independent (which was one of Britain’s last remaining topic and discussion starters become such a waist of trees? I used to think the Daily Mail was the countries biggest selling toilet paper but now I think I’ve found a new one. Don’t forget that like all newspapers the Independent would mostly have been written on a Friday and not Saturday (when the game-distraction thing was on).

So has anyone else noticed the de-brainification of the Independent or is it just me?

I have noticed it too. Independent is the paper i read (due to it being the best in my eyes) but its started to become partisan now (which i never use to).

Regarding the World Cup, its just going with the feeling in the Country and joining in on the action.

But regarding partisan, the paper did support the Liberal Democrats in the last general election, but with its focus on the enviroment, its starking to smooth into the Tory-green lines.

I suppose that's not so bad then? As everything is biased so its best to choose how providing you don't become unnecessarily-too much so.
Funnily enough since I first wrote this article the paper has improved; maybe there was a change of staff whilst the others got drunk? Then again there's been many more moments recently when i've called it a waste of paper rather a news provider. In which case maybe something is going on with its ownership, or sponsorship?
Personally it doesn't really matter to me as I have ATS and about a hundred other sites! Does worry me though if other people can't have at least one out of 12 papers that's a decent news source; but perhaps the absence of this will be good for environment (the natural one rather than the political one that is).

Its Silly Season, no politics to really discuss as Parliament is out, everyones thinking about going on holiday and trying to enjoy the weather. So for a few days the Independant is light harted. Not really a big deal is it?

Personally i like the change, i stopped reading since every headline became Iraq or global warming.

Nothing has really changed of late at the Independant, perhaps the primary staff are on holiday.