The kinds of stories that make their way into the Guardian are largely subject to the ideological leanings of its editors. For example, Mr. Rusbridger himself does not identity himself as someone from the Left; he simply happens to have experience working with a centre-left paper some years ago. But then there are other senior executives working for the Guarding, including Georgina Henry, a deputy editor, or Seamus Milne, the comment editor–who very decidedly are of the Left. In this context, the selection of stories and the narrative points of views chosen found therein are not going to be objective To change the deep-seated culture of a paper is not an easy thing. If the Guardian is to remain in circulation and retain its large base of readers, “it has to become the paper of the establishment, it will have to tone down or get rid of some of its political biases.” (Glover, 2005)
There is yet another factor in this equation. The content of Guardian is as much driven by its readers as it is by its owners.
“The Guardian is the newspaper of teachers, lecturers, social workers, middling government employees. Its pages bulge with government job advertising on which it has a virtual (and indefensible) monopoly. Is it really feasible for it to continue to appeal to its traditional readers while stretching out its hand to members of the establishment–mandarins, lawyers, the higher clergy, senior businessmen and the like?” (Glover, 2003)
At this juncture a comparison of the Independent with other tabloids is warranted. The Independent and the Times are similar in size to that of Sun. Certain pages do seem a little cramped. All the popular tabloids are of the exact same width though. The Le Monde or Berliner size which is both lengthier and wider cannot be produced by any newspaper press in Britain “without adaptation that would render it unfit for producing any other shape”. Of all the forms in vogue, the Berliner is the most versatile in that it offers plenty of scope for striking design. In this sense The Independent is a compressed broadsheet.
References:
Glover, S. (April 24, 2004). Don’t worry: the ‘tabloid revolution’ is not going to carry everything before it. Spectator, 294, 9168. p.10(1).
Glover, S. (July 3, 2004). It is time to praise Mr Rusbridger–for not turning the Guardian into a tabloid. Spectator, 295, 9178. p.30(1).
Glover, S. (Jan 22, 2005). Can the Guardian be a newspaper both of the Left and of the establishment?. Spectator, 297, 9207. p.28(1).
Glover, S. (Nov 29, 2003). The Times has gone tabloid: where will the broadsheet revolution end?. Spectator, 293, 9147. p.30(1).