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Ramon de Ramon y Ramon · 06-29-2001, 04:31 PM

I used to be a very avid reader of daily newspapers, but I find that most regional newspapers here in Germany have been getting less and less interesting over the past two decades (especially as a result of cutting down on in-depth articles and by growing more and more wary/unwilling to take any kind of stance that could be considered at least slightly "off center/mainstream"), to a point where it is almost a waste of time and money to read them. I hold a subscription
of "Die Zeit", Germany's most prestigious weekly newspaper, though. There I read almost everything, politics, business/economics, reportages, "feuilleton" (features). What I don't read that often are the literary supplement(makes me feel guilty) and the lifestyle section. Unfortunately that newspaper does not a sports section - for information on that I rely mostly on the internet and is lacking, mostly in quantity, less so in quality, in coverage on foreign politics, a special interest of mine. Even more unfortunately the newspaper with the by far best foreign policy section in Germanyis is the "Frankfurter Allgemeine" (FAZ), a very conservative publication. Every time I try to read anything other than the foreign policy section in there for an extended period of time I am quickly starting to develop ulcers: having your personal beliefs challenged on a daily basis is very challenging - in the best of ways, enlightening and stimulating if it is done at the highest intellectual level, but also in the worst of ways, maddening and infuriating, if it is done at a level just one notch below.

A Norwegian publishing house started to distribute a free daily newspaper at the subway stations here in Cologne a little over a year ago and of course the two local tabloids had to follow suit with free versions of their own. Naturally the quality of the best of the three is only slightly over tabloid-level, but still an okay read for during a subway ride.

For up to date information, (but also for features and reports) I almost exclusively turn to the radio these days. Luckily, Germany has a fairly diverse and highly developed public radio system. I sold my TV set a year ago and have yet to really regret it.

During my two one-year-stays abroad I found The Oregonian in Portland to be a very good quality newspaper, while La Vanguardia in Barcelona is simply the best newspaper I have ever read regularly. Barcelona is just top in every category. Sigh !

(excerpt from: "Ramon. A user manual. Section 386 - On media use")

Look, Ramon, the lurker and teaser, had already been back for a couple of weeks, but now Ramon, the rambler, has returned as well.

------------------
So long !

R³ - proud to be the official spokesman for the most noble Lady Bilqis, Desert Rose of Ironworks

Btw, the cow is queuing in the slaughterhouse right now !

06-29-2001, 04:31 PM	#2
Ramon de Ramon y Ramon Red Dragon Join Date: March 1, 2001 Location: Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Age: 53 Posts: 1,517	I used to be a very avid reader of daily newspapers, but I find that most regional newspapers here in Germany have been getting less and less interesting over the past two decades (especially as a result of cutting down on in-depth articles and by growing more and more wary/unwilling to take any kind of stance that could be considered at least slightly "off center/mainstream"), to a point where it is almost a waste of time and money to read them. I hold a subscription of "Die Zeit", Germany's most prestigious weekly newspaper, though. There I read almost everything, politics, business/economics, reportages, "feuilleton" (features). What I don't read that often are the literary supplement(makes me feel guilty) and the lifestyle section. Unfortunately that newspaper does not a sports section - for information on that I rely mostly on the internet and is lacking, mostly in quantity, less so in quality, in coverage on foreign politics, a special interest of mine. Even more unfortunately the newspaper with the by far best foreign policy section in Germanyis is the "Frankfurter Allgemeine" (FAZ), a very conservative publication. Every time I try to read anything other than the foreign policy section in there for an extended period of time I am quickly starting to develop ulcers: having your personal beliefs challenged on a daily basis is very challenging - in the best of ways, enlightening and stimulating if it is done at the highest intellectual level, but also in the worst of ways, maddening and infuriating, if it is done at a level just one notch below. A Norwegian publishing house started to distribute a free daily newspaper at the subway stations here in Cologne a little over a year ago and of course the two local tabloids had to follow suit with free versions of their own. Naturally the quality of the best of the three is only slightly over tabloid-level, but still an okay read for during a subway ride. For up to date information, (but also for features and reports) I almost exclusively turn to the radio these days. Luckily, Germany has a fairly diverse and highly developed public radio system. I sold my TV set a year ago and have yet to really regret it. During my two one-year-stays abroad I found The Oregonian in Portland to be a very good quality newspaper, while La Vanguardia in Barcelona is simply the best newspaper I have ever read regularly. Barcelona is just top in every category. Sigh ! (excerpt from: "Ramon. A user manual. Section 386 - On media use") Look, Ramon, the lurker and teaser, had already been back for a couple of weeks, but now Ramon, the rambler, has returned as well. ------------------ So long ! R³ - proud to be the official spokesman for the most noble Lady Bilqis, Desert Rose of Ironworks Btw, the cow is queuing in the slaughterhouse right now !