Favourite Journalist

[Peteinblack]

Andrew Rawnsley. Tells it like it is.

Yes, I'm a big fan of AR, too; he offers really good insights from first-hand sources in government, and writes really well. I also like his Observer colleague (and economics commentator), Will Hutton (among other things, he was warning about an inevitable global financial crash and banking crisis years before it finally happened in 2008, but as usual, no-one took any notice until it was too late).

 

[ali jenkins]

I think Andy Naylor always writes insightfull pieces and has a very balanced view of the topics he is asked to write about.

He always manages to unearth a good story all by himself aswell!

 

[clapham_gull]

John Pilger

I find very dull and worthy, unwilling to acknowledge another point of few.

Fisk on the other hand quite brilliant.

 

[Wilko]

patrick barclay usually always hits the sport, and i like reading matt syed's stuff as well

He is awful on the Sunday Supplement, he goes all round the houses and completley forgets what he was talking about and never actually answers the question.

- Paddy, who do you think will win the title this year
- Well, I remember back in 1986 when Hughes was playing for Man Utd, they were playing some really nice one touch football.........
- Right, and so who do you think will win the title?

 

[Questions]

I miss Martin Samuel since he left The Times. Simon Barnes tries to hard in the same paper and Atherton is just brill on cricket IMO. Hayward can jot a note as well.
I actually agreed with something that Steven Howard in The Sun said today (I know I know) where he mentioned the Rooney affair and how it showed just how deep the abyss is that football has allowed itself to sink into.

 

[ILIKECANDLES]

John Pilger

Great suggestion. His films are awesome.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

He is awful on the Sunday Supplement, he goes all round the houses and completley forgets what he was talking about and never actually answers the question.

- Paddy, who do you think will win the title this year
- Well, I remember back in 1986 when Hughes was playing for Man Utd, they were playing some really nice one touch football.........
- Right, and so who do you think will win the title?

Indeed, comes across as a rather smug pretentious know-it-all on TV - don't know what he writes like.

 

[alan partridge]

Richard little john. No PC nonsense.

Richard Littlejohn - An evil **** of a human being

 

[ILIKECANDLES]

Richard Littlejohn - An evil **** of a human being

Spot on. Yet treated by some as a god. These people need putting down.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Yes, I'm a big fan of AR, too; he offers really good insights from first-hand sources in government, and writes really well. I also like his Observer colleague (and economics commentator), Will Hutton (among other things, he was warning about an inevitable global financial crash and banking crisis years before it finally happened in 2008, but as usual, no-one took any notice until it was too late).

Funnily - just about to read "The End of the Party" that I got for Christmas. Good New Years Eve fare.

 

[Tooting Gull]

In sport, Martin Samuel, James Lawton is tapping on a bit now but he can still write a great piece, and obviously McIlvenny back in the day.

It's a shame how few of the 'next generation' are a patch on these guys. They just don't seem to have the wit, the imagination and possibly even the education to distil events into eminently readable prose.

The workload is partly to blame. Great writers used to be given days to come up with the perfect piece, nowadays they are all churning out as fast as they can for the web sites etc as well. It doesn't help quality.

 

[Mr Banana]

On a personal level, all the ones I know - Argus ones, those who've moved on (that's you jonnyboylennon), Morris and all. From an inspiration point of view, Henry Winter, McIlvanney, Paul Hayward and Nick Sczcepanik.

 

[cannedheat]

Richard Littlejohn - An evil **** of a human being

As soon as the name Littlejohn appears on here there you are.

 

[El Presidente]

Martin Johnson is very sharp, Martin Samuels also talks with authority. Littlejohn is an embarrassment to the profession, appealing to taxi drivers only.

 

[elwheelio]

Charlie Brooker - not exactly a 'roving reporter' type journo but always worth reading. Also like Martin Kelner.

 

[Jonno]

Agree with Charlie Brooker, David Mitchell's occasional columns are also prettey decent in the Guardian.
Steve James on cricket is quite a good read in the Torygraph.

The worst? A toss-up between Littlejohn and that god-awful Amanda Platell - both full of bile and spite and Littlejohn clearly a deeply repressed homosexual.

 

[alan partridge]

Spot on. Yet treated by some as a god. These people need putting down.

didn't we used to not get on? you've changed

 

[SE4 GULL]

Barry Glendenning

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

patrick barclay usually always hits the sport, and i like reading matt syed's stuff as well

Syed's a wanker, and a lot of what he writes comes straight off the top of his head - for example he wrote that he couldn't understand why Harry Redknapp hadn't been invited to become England manager THE DAY BEFORE HE WAS ARRESTED. He honestly had no idea about H's reputation in the game. Paddy Barclay, though, is an absolutely top man.

 

[Martinf]

Paul Hayward and also the parliamentary sketch writer in The times, Ann Treneman.