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Are Telegraph readers somehow racist?

I know the title is somehow provoking, but I have been reading the Daily Telegraph for quite some time, and I am at times quite battled with the somewhat openly racist attitude of the readers displayed in the comments section. For example, in an article titled "Aung San Suu Kyi may visit UK this summer", the highest rated comment included the following:

"More shannigans in Oxford I see with "asian" men using underage white girls for sex. Enough of this Blairite I've-never-met-an-immigrant-I-didn't-like nonsense Cameron."

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/burmamyanmar/9203225/Aung-San-Suu-Kyi-may-visit-London-after-historic-visit-to-Burma-by-David-Cameron.html)

May I ask if this sort of comments somehow reflect the common attitude the British population? Are this sort of comments made because of the "Asians = Bad" perception common in the society? I am not concerned if one particular reader made a vile comment in an article about a well-recognised non-violent human rights fighter, but I am quite concerned if such a comment is accepted as quite popular and mainstream.

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Tbh I seem to find roughly the same sort of comments in all the other other news outlet - bbc, daily mail, guardian. I think this is because the type of people who actually bother creating an account to leave or rate a comment are those who want their opinions heard, so they'll go over to other news websites/forums as well. However there are obviously small variations between them depending on how strict they moderate the comments section - this is what I think it ultimately comes down to.
Reply 2
The Telegraph, like the Daily Mail, is a right-wing paper. That is not to say I am calling right-wingers racist. Just that the racists tend to group up and find their comfy spot on the right-hand-side of the political spectrum.

Edit: Can't tell whether the negs are from right-wingers who don't like being associated with racists or racists who don't like being associated with right-wingers...
(edited 11 years ago)
I've noticed this a lot with the comments section on that site.
Reply 4
I think everyone that doesn't read the guardian is racist to some extent. According to the guardian, of course. The only non-biased paper. :colone:
Reply 5
Original post by Bonged.
I think everyone that doesn't read the guardian is racist to some extent. According to the guardian, of course. The only non-biased paper. :colone:


How dare you sully the name of The Independent. They have columnists that make Polly Toynbee look like Nick Griffin.
Reply 6
Original post by funnyapple
I know the title is somehow provoking, but I have been reading the Daily Telegraph for quite some time, and I am at times quite battled with the somewhat openly racist attitude of the readers displayed in the comments section. For example, in an article titled "Aung San Suu Kyi may visit UK this summer", the highest rated comment included the following:

"More shannigans in Oxford I see with "asian" men using underage white girls for sex. Enough of this Blairite I've-never-met-an-immigrant-I-didn't-like nonsense Cameron."

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/burmamyanmar/9203225/Aung-San-Suu-Kyi-may-visit-London-after-historic-visit-to-Burma-by-David-Cameron.html)

May I ask if this sort of comments somehow reflect the common attitude the British population? Are this sort of comments made because of the "Asians = Bad" perception common in the society? I am not concerned if one particular reader made a vile comment in an article about a well-recognised non-violent human rights fighter, but I am quite concerned if such a comment is accepted as quite popular and mainstream.


If they are of asian backgrounds and they happen to commit a crime, what's racist about saying where they are from???
Reply 7
What I find more baffling is that Cameron honestly thinks the public will think he truly cares about Burma.

Have you tried reading some comments on the DM website? Yeah yeah I know I'm nagging on the DM, but its blatantly obvious some of the racist views the commenters hold.

Although as a non-partisan I equally get annoyed at sites like the Guardian, where they feel the need to write articles every day on ridiculous policies which they think are utopian but impractical in real life. Its mind-dumbing how many of their readers buy in to it.

But if you're asking if all of the Telegraph's or other newspapers' readers are racist, then no.
Reply 8
I would imagine the British public have grown weary of being denied a platform on the issue of state multiculturalism while we allow 'Asian' sex gangs - a consequence of the 'vibrant' society- to specifically target young white girls. It's enough to encourage anyone with an ounce of decency to question the core tenets of multiculturalist dogma.
Reply 9
Newspaper comments sections are full of utter nutters who are in no way representative of anything.
No, they are generally all not racist (with a few exceptional nutters). If commenters on the site let their opinions be heard, say against immigration for example, it is generally made on economic grounds or cultural grounds and not racial grounds.
No they are probably not, but they are most certainly of a conservative mindset.

Most of them are very selfish, but they are conditioned to be that way.

Conditioning is very powerful.
Original post by funnyapple
I know the title is somehow provoking, but I have been reading the Daily Telegraph for quite some time, and I am at times quite battled with the somewhat openly racist attitude of the readers displayed in the comments section. For example, in an article titled "Aung San Suu Kyi may visit UK this summer", the highest rated comment included the following:

"More shannigans in Oxford I see with "asian" men using underage white girls for sex. Enough of this Blairite I've-never-met-an-immigrant-I-didn't-like nonsense Cameron."

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/burmamyanmar/9203225/Aung-San-Suu-Kyi-may-visit-London-after-historic-visit-to-Burma-by-David-Cameron.html)

May I ask if this sort of comments somehow reflect the common attitude the British population? Are this sort of comments made because of the "Asians = Bad" perception common in the society? I am not concerned if one particular reader made a vile comment in an article about a well-recognised non-violent human rights fighter, but I am quite concerned if such a comment is accepted as quite popular and mainstream.


They're not racist hell no but they are unashamedly right-wing and whilst racism tends to fester to the right of the political centrepoint, no way does being right-wing make you racist......even though left of centre is THE place to be :wink:

I mean one example, someone mentioned the Daily Mail as right-wing which they are but they were one of the moe prominent media outlets to publicly label the men accused of murdering Stephen Lawrence as the murders as per the headline directed at them "If you're unhappy with that then please feel free to sue us".

I mean I'm Asian and I guess being a Labour supporter that makes me left-wing but I remember reading the "Young Telegraph" and "Funday Times" as a child mainly because I don't ever recall The Guardian or Independent having such comically named kids supplements.

I liked the Tintin strips in the Funday Times. I miss those days :frown:
no probably not however it is the most Conservative out of all the newspapers.
I doubt the Telegraph editors choose the boring comments which express pretty common opinions. The comments that get published are most likely the ones sent in by readers who have slightly racist/extreme/'out there' opinions, thus misrepresenting the Telegraph readership as a whole.
Reply 15
Original post by Kiss
If they are of asian backgrounds and they happen to commit a crime, what's racist about saying where they are from???



Original post by chefdave
I would imagine the British public have grown weary of being denied a platform on the issue of state multiculturalism while we allow 'Asian' sex gangs - a consequence of the 'vibrant' society- to specifically target young white girls. It's enough to encourage anyone with an ounce of decency to question the core tenets of multiculturalist dogma.


More shannigans in Oxford I see with "asian" men using underage white girls for sex. Enough of this Blairite I've-never-met-an-immigrant-I-didn't-like nonsense Cameron.


I just think that the best rated comment in the Telegraph's page (quoted directly above) on the Asian sex gangs in an article about Aung San Suu Kyi is highly disrespectful.

I thought the quoted comment appeared because the following came across the poster's mind: (i) Aung San Suu Kyi is Asian. (ii) Aung San Suu Kyi graduated from Oxford. (iii) Darn! All the bloody Asians in Oxford!

But what Aung San Suu Kyi has done to be associated with the Asian sex gangs? Is Aung San Suu Kyi personally involved in any sex crimes committed in Oxford? Is any Burmese associated with the sex crimes committed in Oxford? Really?

And that's why I find it quite unbelievable such a comment would receive the highest ratings in a well-respected broadsheet paper's website.
The comments sections of most papers seem to attract idiots, it's the same with the Independent.
Reply 17
Original post by funnyapple
I just think that the best rated comment in the Telegraph's page (quoted directly above) on the Asian sex gangs in an article about Aung San Suu Kyi is highly disrespectful.

I thought the quoted comment appeared because the following came across the poster's mind: (i) Aung San Suu Kyi is Asian. (ii) Aung San Suu Kyi graduated from Oxford. (iii) Darn! All the bloody Asians in Oxford!

But what Aung San Suu Kyi has done to be associated with the Asian sex gangs? Is Aung San Suu Kyi personally involved in any sex crimes committed in Oxford? Is any Burmese associated with the sex crimes committed in Oxford? Really?

And that's why I find it quite unbelievable such a comment would receive the highest ratings in a well-respected broadsheet paper's website.


Lol. Prepare for bigger shocks in life.
Reply 18
I'm just annoyed the following isn't the best-rated:

"Please stay there Dave. The UK could use a democrat - send her back in exchange; no one would miss you!"
How does a comment section on a website represent the newspaper? It doesn't even represent a large percentage of the readers. :facepalm:

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