The Sunday papers seem to get fatter by the week. Each one of them seems keen to undergo plastic surgery, to look different from the rest. And, yet, they all increasingly look alike. Often what differs is not the content but tones and colours. These days Sunday papers come complete with numerous supplements and glossy magazines.
Advertisers, whose money drives this monotonous abundance, must love Sundays. They hope to capitalise on the "extra" leisure time that people supposedly have on Sundays. But this leisure time is becoming scarce as more individuals seek new pastures such as getting glued to their computers or television sets. True, traditionally Sunday papers have been the best-selling ones. Now many of them are simply extended versions of their daily editions. A couple of them are even daring to include "spicy" stories, even though these are a far cry from the News of the World. In Catholic Malta, no paper has dared go the Sun's page 3 way.
In our tiny country, we have seven Sunday papers; three in English and four in our mother tongue. One would have expected that this intense competition would drive their prices down. Still, they keep going up. Admittedly, there is a significant range of prices ranging from €0.80 for the most expensive (The Sunday Times) to €0.47 for the cheapest (Il-Mument). In this day and age of neo-liberal everything, I presume that these prices reflect market forces, or the "value" offered to readers. Of course, there could be other considerations, such as the weight of paper used and political "subsidies".
I admit that going through all the Sunday papers is a real chore. Reading a newspaper is very much like eating Maltese bread, to be consumed solely on the day. In the Information Age, it could not be otherwise. The media clutter is comparable only to honking in mid-day New Delhi. To be sincere I know a few persons whose Sunday paper keeps them company for a whole week. Going through seven newspapers is no joke. I sympathise with media analysts who try to bring us the best of the Sunday papers by early morning. For them there can be little Saturday night fever.
I start reading the Sunday papers in the afternoon. Stretched out on the sofa, I pretend to be relaxing; listening to the television and balancing the piles of newsprint spread all over me. From time to time my head surfaces. My favourite football team has just suffered a goal. I convince myself that I am getting a well-deserved rest. Still, I carry on worshipping on the sacred altar of journalism. I have no sense of guilt, of breaking the Sabbath.
After all, the Sunday papers too have their share of sermons. They all speak on behalf of the truth. As Joe Jackson chanted way back in the 1970s, "Sunday papers don't get no lies... Sunday papers don't got no eyes". Or do they? After all what is truth, apart from all that which I believe in and write about?
It must all be relative. Or just dead silence, as was Jesus's reply when questioned on the matter by Pontius Pilate. This seems to have been realised by the Castille oracle; until lately it had been quick in dispensing enlightenment on all issues. Maybe the oracle is starting to believe that silence too belongs to the politics of persuasion. No wonder Lou Bondì has written (in reaction to the accusations made by John Dalli in his regard) "I gladly invite readers to measure my credibility against his" (The Sunday Times, December, 16).
Why do I bother to read the Sunday papers? It is mostly in search of inspiration for my opinion pieces. It is not easy to find what I want, especially as I am never sure of what I am looking for. So I just plod on. At times, I would have been toying with an issue for a while. Then come the Sunday papers and everyone is writing about that very same issue. It is then that I realise that, not only do we have too many Sunday papers, but also too many opinion writers.
In Malta, we all have an opinion. A few are born writers, a few more become writers and many have writing thrust upon them. And from time to time we do get the odd new writer... or a regenerated one. This especially at times when a general election is just around the corner.
One final thought. Our society could be better served should our Sunday papers go green. That way they will help save trees, reduce carbon dioxide and help contain global warming. In the process, they could help restore the fun of reading the Sunday papers. Naturally, I speak for myself.
Fms18@onvol.net