Tuesday 4 August 2009

Who's Guarding The Guardian?



Now don't get me wrong I've not always been a fan of The Guardian, I think they have a lot to answer for, for glamorising the behaviour of tow rags in certain parts of this town and by coining the phrase "Gunchester" how many little dicks wore that T Shirt? Guardian readers wind me up as well, sanctimonious Chorlton types, yeah I know I'm generalising but tough shit it's my blog, no doubt they to have at times taken that editorial line......

But wait I digress the point of this post is to big them up in their hour of need. They've hit hard times like so many of us. As Guardian media they've already binned some of the smaller concerns but now it looks like even the Actual Guardian and Observer brand are really feeling the pinch.

I'm not concerned because of their so called PC, left of centre leaning. In these crazy days it's The Right wing Telegraph that's been taking the politicians to task right across the parties anyway.
No the reason I'm concerned is far more shallow than that, I'm going to call it The Woolworths feeling. Pure unadulterated sentimentality. First off because it started here, as The Manchester Guardian in 1821 until it "got all above it's self" in 1959 and moved to London.
Reason number two is photography and it's use as a journalistic tool. It appointed it's first staff photographer as far back as 1908. It was one of the first papers anywhere to do so.
It kept a noble tradition using the talents of Don McPhee and Dennis Thorpe, and helped to invent and define the role of the photojournalist, for that alone it should be thought of as a national treasure and I hope it's future is brighter than Woolies was........

No comments: