"Choose what you read" campaign

Jenny

http://www.choosewhatyouread.com/

Just read about this in the Big Issue. The organisers give away free books on the underground so that people don't read the free papers which "scare, sedate and depress with page after page of stabbings and drunken celebrities".

The next handout is on 1st June.

forget-me-not

Its a good idea. Are the free papers really that bad, though?

Jay Mandal

How would they choose 'happy' books, though?

Carol

just as long as they don't give them books on these subjects too...

forget-me-not

And the whole point of a paper is that you can read an article or two on a bus/train/tube ride. Many people may just prefer this, instead they could make their own paper that tells things as it is, without these exaggerated scare stories.

Jenny

Years ago someone brought out a paper that only contained good news. I don't think it had a very wide circulation - proving ... ?

forget-me-not

well thats a bit extreme though, I mean one that doesn't glorify criminals and intentionally try to scare the public with thoughts of doom. (perhaps I'm being a bit extreme now!)

Jenny

Do you think some of the scare stories are intended to distract us from high-level scandals?