The Star is not a newspaper but... [Archive] - United Subang Jaya Web Forum

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Ski

13-10-2005, 09:16 AM

Hi
Eventhough this is my daily, I realised that i am paying for a load of rubbish . I have been running thru the pages for news and all i see is advertisments after advertisments..no bloody news and discovered 21 pages of full advertisments.
There is so much of news locally and internationally that is not been reported but surely we are aware its more lucrative to advertise.
The Star is taking advantage of the consumer as we have no choice other than the Straits Times. I have not checked the Straits Times is it the same?
Almost every news page of the Star is dominated with at least 60% of adverts. Excluding the classifieds and other pullouts of course.
The newspaper is getting heavier by the day and why should we pay so much when they are earning heftily from these adverts. They ought to reduce the cost if the publiishers want us to stomach them.

Now the festivals are around the corner we know what to expect from this media!!! more pages of adverts.

Btw i do understand they are many who do depend on these advertisments.eg cheap sale and promotions, information on food etc etc.

May have to stop this daily. I dont like to be fooled and be cheated, I am not getting what i want, ie. more news, consumer complaints, independent investigations, information and good syndicated articles.

Cheerz

totoro

13-10-2005, 09:20 AM

well, the online version is free. :P

believe it or not, i skim the printed version only for ads.

achee

13-10-2005, 09:26 AM

The Star was my newdaily once but no more now eversince NST changed its size of the daily tabloids.

I prefer NST, other than news, the articles are better and more informative.

monster

13-10-2005, 09:29 AM

I go for the online version... also the NSTP group is online (NST, MalayMail, Berita Harian & Harian Metro). I also get online versions of foreign newspapers. :)

I only buy the paper version when got some intersting articles for the day and the paper version sure got more picutres....

Ski

13-10-2005, 09:34 AM

We all do that of course to surf the internet for free news, me too. I prefer Bernama for local news and My yahoo for internationl news ;)

PJS

13-10-2005, 09:47 AM

I'm in agreement with Ski about the advertisements in The Star, They seem to have less and less coverage & articles worth reading these days. I used to like NST in the old big page format but since they changed to the new size I don't seem to enjoy it so much that's why when i buy newspapers its got to be the Star, dunno why, somehow the new NST size/font/layout doesn't appeal to me, hehehehe :D

I prefer to read online nowadays, can get in anytime, anywhere in my home. I just click on the bookmark in my Netscape and walla, 15 tabs of worldwide news at my disposal. Bernama, Star, NST, Channelnewasia, News.au, CNN, CNBC, Bangkok Post, NHK, Reuters...... :D :D

hezron

13-10-2005, 10:35 AM

I bought The Star for its advertisments... ^_^

News.... all come from Internet, TV and Radio....

fedup

13-10-2005, 11:18 AM

Hi there, what do u expect from MCA? news no, way spin doctors, yes advertisements though a necacisity for them to pay dividens but they can always lump them together but will they? high hopes, just go to a mamak shop & read for free if you feel there's a need. Mind you even the price of teh tarik have gone up by 20% so read all the papers available. Just came back from restoran eshan is usj 2, price of tea gone 20% don't know about price of food yet but it's still cheaper then buying your own thrash or worse get it delivered to your house & pay for delivery charges. :p

fedup

13-10-2005, 11:20 AM

sorry but getting too old . can't spell & write in proper english maybe associating too much with Malaysia Boleh people :p

keith

13-10-2005, 11:45 AM

I've turned to online news since 95,... never subscribed to any newspaper ever since. Nowadays, there are GoogleNews, YahooNews, Star Online, Sun Online, The Edge Online, etc, etc... endless choice and it's free.

yvonnefoong

13-10-2005, 11:50 AM

But then, the star also has other type of articles besides news coverage. There's the youth2 section, starmag, intech, etc etc. If we want variety, then I say The Star is the one to buy. I notice that among all papers, The Star is most concerned about charity and social issues. There are also book reviews. As a writer and sick girl in need of help, the star is giving me a lot of publicity. From what I observe, their journalists seem to be very keen on getting good stories to write about. If there's anything you want to voice out, go straight to the star.

As for current news, my family subscribed to the news straits times and the malay mail for years. OInly recently did I manage to persuade them to switch to The Star. Reason because, my friends always get the latest news while I don't! Or even when the news lapse in those papers, the star would have better coverage.

And somehow, The Star articles seem to carry this unique writing angel.

Ski

13-10-2005, 01:21 PM

Hi Yvonne.
Yes agree you with, there are some stuff like you mention scattered in the Star, but i am against the extensive coverage of adverts thats all.

yvonnefoong

13-10-2005, 01:34 PM

Hmmm... I'm not quite sure about how news agencies work. But they usually pay every article RM100 or so. If there are 20 articles in one publication, they will be paying out RM2,000 just for the freelance writers. Then, every section of the newspaper is a department of its own, with its own editor, sub editor, journalists, illustrators, photographers and all that. Then, there are the other costs involved in printing and publishing as well. When they launched the new pull out for colleges, "all the rage", they had to employ a freelance consultant and extra writers, to set up a new division, just for an 8 page pull-out!

So I'm wondering, with so much in The Star, don't they need advertisers to cut down costs? And I have an inkling idea that these advertisers come and go, so they need to find them all the time.

This is just my little reasoning. Feel free to prove me wrong if you have actual facts.

aimless

13-10-2005, 01:35 PM

between the star and the NST, i find the tables have been turned. Gone are the days when the Star was more daring and informative, and the NST was the toe-the-line government paper. I find it the other way around now, and thus prefer the NST.

Stan

13-10-2005, 02:13 PM

Star definitely have too many ads.

However, ads too serve a function. they enable our newspaper to be sold at only RM1.20. It actually subsidises the cost of printing and producing the paper. Selling the paper at Rm1.20 cannot cover the cost at all.

Secondly, ads serve a purpose too for readers. We get to find out about new products and services/promotions available, not to mention the warehouse sales!

Actually, most advertisers know that Star has too many ads (ad clutter). With so many ads, their ad would not stand out and be noticed, but basically advetisers too have no choice as Star is by far the paer with the highest readership for Englsh medium. And it still it the best choice for reaching the consumer. NST and Sun just cant deliver the numbers.

So our news is actually cheap. If you are looking for more indepth reporting try NST or even Sun (depth but not breadth). Or the Edge, which is great for business related news and features.

Chia Hak Soon

13-10-2005, 02:55 PM

Ski, you are right, we should encourage malaysiakini to be in paper print and I am sure nobody wants to read the star or the new straits times. I have stop buying either and I click online to brouse thru.

At least i don't have to stack up for the old newspaper man. Nowadays, with CNN, CCTV, CNBC and internet, we do have a choice. Gone are the days where we look foward to the local newspaper and I remember,when there is a national holiday, we are so addicted that we can feel we missed a rountine.
Not anymore, my friend, MCA,UMNO, MIC or whosoever can control , but what use if nobody reads.

In fact , we can save the forest if it is paperless and hopefully less natural disaster.

adriene

13-10-2005, 03:36 PM

In fact , we can save the forest if it is paperless and hopefully less natural disaster.

Yes. Imagine how many hundred tonnes of newsprint is printed upon and discarded the very next day, just like that. It's a crime when I think of it.

But it seems like a necessary evil for now. And will continue to be until internet connectivy reaches everyone in Malaysia.

jasonbhlee

13-10-2005, 04:09 PM

Fellas....online news comes a little too late. I get to read the news at 6.30am when my newspaper vendor delivers to my doorstep. What time does the Star online or NST online updates their news??
It has been a habit of mine to want to read the newspaper the first thing I wake up in the morning.....

Ski

13-10-2005, 04:26 PM

newbies

13-10-2005, 04:37 PM

i only read star paper if i want to find ware house sale/ any sale lah...so i only read/buy on fridays or saturdays... :D

penangkia

13-10-2005, 05:17 PM

Cannot live without Star....my one and only toilet companion. Without it, cannot perform. :p

GreenBug

13-10-2005, 06:25 PM

Cannot live without Star....my one and only toilet companion. Without it, cannot perform. :pMaybe bring the laptop with you while you sit on your throne and read the news online....??? :eek:

penangkia

13-10-2005, 06:31 PM

Maybe bring the laptop with you while you sit on your throne and read the news online....??? :eek:

Tried that before, tak boleh, always press wrong key when lower body comes under pressure. :p

Ski

13-10-2005, 06:35 PM

Cannot live without Star....my one and only toilet companion. Without it, cannot perform. :p

Ya, you remind me of a friend who has to bring along stool to lay the heavy Star while he does his buisness, do you too? can handle two jobs ah.. :p

cskok8

13-10-2005, 11:58 PM

Most of the news in the papers are what the govt want us to know. Therefore I see no reason to pay for it. I only read the Sun cos it is free. :D

starrnorth

14-10-2005, 03:20 AM

why u guys complain about the newspaper ? Without the ad your papers will be so costly. Besides with the thick paper, you get a bit "more" when you sell it to the recycle man. (environmental issue is another matter). for me when I take the papers, I split it up into the various section - news, adv, business, and just take the one that i read and just keep the rest away.

Ski

15-10-2005, 04:58 PM

JackRyan1975

15-10-2005, 05:32 PM

The Star nowadays lousy front page layout lar. Always show pictures that I don't find interesting. For the news have to flip inside. Not user-friendly at all. I finished reading yesterday's Star in bout 10 mins, but spend 30 mins for NST. NST has much more interesting stories these days. Star seems to be sucking up to the establishment nowadays...unlike NST/Malay Mail that has the latest scoop, anti-establishment ones that is.

adriene

15-10-2005, 11:39 PM

Todays front page shows a pic. of butchered tiger by some senseless ****** [unable to find the suitable word} and i also find it brainless for The Star to display this outrageous and gruesome graphic. I thot only the Chinese Dailies specialises in sensationlizing these sort on their front pages....didn't enjoy my breakfast today. :(

I too found the picture very gruesome. However, in my personal opinion, I do not regret that it appeared in the front page because I believe that The Star has done a service to the wildlife protection cause by helping to raise greater awareness among the public. If seen in this regard, the picture was not sensationalism for sensationalism sake.

I hope that many many people were outraged to see our endangered tigers being killed in this manner and are moved to work against it.

Personally, I am disgusted by how our wildlife, our collective treasure, is being illegally butchered, sold, exploited, transported illegally in the most horrible conditions, and then sold off as exotic pets and so-called medicine.

Berkhidmat untuk unggas,
adriene