Taking a look at how different countries handle their news or what they considered hard news is always interesting to me. The Independent is a British online newspaper that started up in 1986. It started in the beginning as a broadsheet then evolved to a tabloid in 2003. However, now they are strictly an online source as their last print publication was in March of 2016. Their articles consist of 100 journalists that are from all around the world. They take subscriptions and donations as they say we need journalism more than ever. I agree with them that during times like these we need a reliable source of information but how do we pick apart the real from the fake? They cover a broad number of topics from racism to the conservative party, and covering American politics. A lot of the stories and information they are covering is similar to here in the United States. Covering the upcoming election here in the US and tracking any scandal involved.
On their website they have multiple tabs for different aspects of the news when you click their politics tab it's flooded with American Politics and Donald Trump. (Shown Above) Their most recent story features our one and only president Donald Trump facing accusations by Micheal Cohen saying he 'ogled' his 15 year old daughter. The incident was said to take place at a golf resort back in 2012. Cohen stated that the two were having a discussion then President Trump inquired about his daughter then allegedly responding "When did she get so hot?" His accusations though have been quickly dismissed along with his memoir in its entirety being considered 'fanfiction.' The White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany spoke on the memoir almost immediately "Micheal Cohen is disgraced felon and disbarred lawyer, who lied to Congress. He has lost all creditability, and it's unsurprising to his latest attempt to profit off of lies." Along with covering Trump parades and multiple direct quotes from the President putting their own spin on it. It's interesting to see another countries perspective on all the political issues happening here in the US.
The Independent has multiple news tabs they offer news for around the globe, a UK focus, and a focus on Europe. They cover lots on the UK spectrum from politics and scandal within the royal family. It's hard not to see something about COVID-19 and they cover the vaccine progress that is occurring there at Oxford. The research team was finally in there final stage of creating a potential vaccine but the trial has been put on pause after a participant has fallen ill. The new 'high-profile' vaccine AstraZeneca has cause a participant to fall 'unexplainably' ill. When asked for a comment they stated "As part of the ongoing randomized, controlled global trials of the Oxford coronavirus vaccine, our standard review process triggered a pause to vaccination to allow review of safety data." Their website features live video and a large inventory of articles to access freely. The website is very easy to access and navigate however, the amount of ads featured on the page makes it feel rather cramped and chaotic. I understand they are trying to bring in support and money but they should take into account that it ruins their overall aesthetic. Being a clean reliable news source means being visually appealing to the viewers without an overload of ads. They also have like I mentioned a large inventory to access freely this includes video that they also upload to their Youtube channel making it easily accessible.
The Independent has been around for quite some time so they have to be doing something right. They've been considered a reliable source for the UK since 1986. Their large library of video and articles makes it easy for users to access news in a free environment. They cover all aspects of the news whether it be politics, sports, fashion, etc. It appears that the UK's version of news matches up with the idea of news here in the United States. They do a great job of highlighting American news and news around the globe at the same time. I feel like the reporters for the Independent have the ability to write freely and without fear of punishment. They post to their social media as well to line up with their posts to their main site, which I think is important in the technologically advanced world we live in now. Overall I would say that The Independent does a good job discussing controversial topics and providing information to their users.
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