London Journal: Aah! More Free Papers! More Tube Trash!
Oct 5th, 2006, 07:19 AM
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London Journal: Aah! More Free Papers! More Tube Trash!
Just read that there are now two additional free newspapers being handed out in droves to London commuters. I've seen the Metro distributed like this for years now, not only in London but in many European cities. But now two more free papers are being handed out:
London Lite - by the Associated Newspapers, owners of the Evening Standard.
and
Thelondonpaper, published by no other than Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, publishers of the Times and The Sun - this paper is aiming for the the under 35 age group crowd and plans a circulation of 400,000. The editorial tone will be 'lighthearted, upbeat, more life-style focus' the company says.'
(A cherished memory of London long ago was just after Murdoch closed his Fleet Street plant and moved it to wasteland east of town - the more efficient and less labor intensive new plant caused the redundancy of many paper workers - a big stink ensued between paper unions and owners. I'll never forget the large MURDOCH IS BAD NEWS scrawled on a Fleet Street building - how prophetic this has become recently in the U.S. with his 'fair and balanced' Fox News!)
The free papers follow a trend in cities where traditional newspaper reading is continuing to fall - circulation of major papers in Britain fell 3.5% in the past year to now about an average of 12 million a day and steady declines are forecast as younger folks get their news phone online or from broadcast news.
Both papers will be handed out in front of 240 London Underground station thru which 3,000,000 passengers pass daily.
Upshot - Tube trains are often incredibly littered already, mainly with newspapers it seems, so now there much be an even bigger pile of old crupmpled papers laying around discarded on seats or on the floor.
I wonder = if this is going to cause an avalanche of rubbish on trains will London Underground be getting any moneys from the publishers to help clean up the detritus? I wonder if the paper hawkers have to pay to give out free papers in the tube.
London Lite - by the Associated Newspapers, owners of the Evening Standard.
and
Thelondonpaper, published by no other than Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, publishers of the Times and The Sun - this paper is aiming for the the under 35 age group crowd and plans a circulation of 400,000. The editorial tone will be 'lighthearted, upbeat, more life-style focus' the company says.'
(A cherished memory of London long ago was just after Murdoch closed his Fleet Street plant and moved it to wasteland east of town - the more efficient and less labor intensive new plant caused the redundancy of many paper workers - a big stink ensued between paper unions and owners. I'll never forget the large MURDOCH IS BAD NEWS scrawled on a Fleet Street building - how prophetic this has become recently in the U.S. with his 'fair and balanced' Fox News!)
The free papers follow a trend in cities where traditional newspaper reading is continuing to fall - circulation of major papers in Britain fell 3.5% in the past year to now about an average of 12 million a day and steady declines are forecast as younger folks get their news phone online or from broadcast news.
Both papers will be handed out in front of 240 London Underground station thru which 3,000,000 passengers pass daily.
Upshot - Tube trains are often incredibly littered already, mainly with newspapers it seems, so now there much be an even bigger pile of old crupmpled papers laying around discarded on seats or on the floor.
I wonder = if this is going to cause an avalanche of rubbish on trains will London Underground be getting any moneys from the publishers to help clean up the detritus? I wonder if the paper hawkers have to pay to give out free papers in the tube.
Oct 5th, 2006, 07:33 AM
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London Lite has replaced the Standard Lite so there is only one additional free paper introduced this summer and that's The London Paper, the other one just had a name change.
Also, I prefer to pick up and read a discarded newspaper than a discarded gum wrapper or beer can. If trains are littered with something, let it be my favourite kind of rubbish!
Also, I prefer to pick up and read a discarded newspaper than a discarded gum wrapper or beer can. If trains are littered with something, let it be my favourite kind of rubbish!
Oct 5th, 2006, 07:35 AM
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Good point...but if litterers didn't have free papers to litter with there would be much less littering by litterers - thus, with no rubbish bins for litterers to dump their litter in due to security concerns folks who would not normally be litteres and leave litter in the Tube are easily induced to become litterers even if they are not normally litterers, contributing directly to the profusion of litter by litterers.
Oct 5th, 2006, 07:46 AM
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Well, this newspaper deluge is already in action. They've been handing out these papers for a couple of weeks now, and it's driving me mental.
I actually like the Metro - it's free, it doesn't get shoved in your face as it's just left for people to pick up, and I find it quite amusing in the mornings when I enter a train carriage and EVERYONE is reading it.
Rubbish isn't a problem - in fact, a free Metro is a rare and treasured thing. People snatch them off seats as soon as they're discarded. A marvellous demonstration of recycling. There's also MANY cleaners at the tube stations picking up papers.
The reason I hate the new free papers is that they've employed some very aggressive distributors. You can't walk five spaces without someone trying to shove one in yer face. Back off! I've got novel to read!
I actually like the Metro - it's free, it doesn't get shoved in your face as it's just left for people to pick up, and I find it quite amusing in the mornings when I enter a train carriage and EVERYONE is reading it.
Rubbish isn't a problem - in fact, a free Metro is a rare and treasured thing. People snatch them off seats as soon as they're discarded. A marvellous demonstration of recycling. There's also MANY cleaners at the tube stations picking up papers.
The reason I hate the new free papers is that they've employed some very aggressive distributors. You can't walk five spaces without someone trying to shove one in yer face. Back off! I've got novel to read!
Oct 5th, 2006, 12:45 PM
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While in London last week we noticed these free papers being distributed outside railroad stations and Tube stops (perhaps inside as well but didn't notice that in particular). We took and read them.
I did not notice any increase in trash in the Tube itself or in the cars over what I've seen in the past. The Tube is pristine compared to some other public transport systems I've ridden.
I also didn't get the impression that the folks handing the papers out were any more "aggressive" than some of the folks handing out flyers, etc., in other parts of the city but the degree of aggression, or lack thereof, is undoubtedly subjective and in my case should not be taken as absolute fact.
I did not notice any increase in trash in the Tube itself or in the cars over what I've seen in the past. The Tube is pristine compared to some other public transport systems I've ridden.
I also didn't get the impression that the folks handing the papers out were any more "aggressive" than some of the folks handing out flyers, etc., in other parts of the city but the degree of aggression, or lack thereof, is undoubtedly subjective and in my case should not be taken as absolute fact.
Oct 5th, 2006, 03:14 PM
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Yes, all the people handing out London lite are a bit annoying. And just for the record, I quite like Fox. No it isn't fair and balanced, but it does help to balance out and make fair everything else you get from CNN, MSNBC, major network news, NY Times ... really most major US metro papers.
Oct 5th, 2006, 04:17 PM
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Oh, the newspapers were everywhere...littering the tube, flashed in my face. I got so weary of it. Free papers are fine, but let me pick one up from a bin. And you're right....the tubes are littered with these crummy papers.
Oct 6th, 2006, 06:23 AM
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<I did not notice any increase in trash in the Tube itself or in the cars over what I've seen in the past. The Tube is pristine compared to some other public transport systems I've ridden>
<Oh, the newspapers were everywhere...littering the tube, flashed in my face. I got so weary of it. Free papers are fine, but let me pick one up from a bin. And you're right....the tubes are littered with these crummy papers>
Ah - the eye of the beholder! Me i don't know was just speculating that there would be more litter since i always noticed newspapers lying around before - but i haven't ridden many tubes in a few years, eschewing them for buses or walking - maybe they do have litter teams now.
But i wonder what the real situation is - more litter or pristine clean? Of course factors i don't know - how many tube rides, on what days, etc. to gather an impression - a ride on Sunday may see a lot less litter - at rush hour tons i suspect.
<Oh, the newspapers were everywhere...littering the tube, flashed in my face. I got so weary of it. Free papers are fine, but let me pick one up from a bin. And you're right....the tubes are littered with these crummy papers>
Ah - the eye of the beholder! Me i don't know was just speculating that there would be more litter since i always noticed newspapers lying around before - but i haven't ridden many tubes in a few years, eschewing them for buses or walking - maybe they do have litter teams now.
But i wonder what the real situation is - more litter or pristine clean? Of course factors i don't know - how many tube rides, on what days, etc. to gather an impression - a ride on Sunday may see a lot less litter - at rush hour tons i suspect.
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