I am by nature an inquisitive person. I need to know how things are done, what makes things work. I like to experience new adventures, well within reason, to do. I will try anything.

As most people, I read a newspaper, wanting to get the latest news, and every morning I would buy The Times, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, whichever newspaper caught my eye that morning.

I was and am aware of the bias, the agenda, the political stance that the newspaper owners, editors, and reporters can put on any report in newsprint.



We know that some newspapers lean to the left or right of political views, and that elections can be strongly influenced by what is publish. They can bring governments down.

We know that campaigns are launched to get the public, nations, to respond in certain ways. Great examples are the Gulf War. The British were influence by the media to accept the Gulf War, yet the French were influenced against it, yet there is only 15 miles of water, the English Channel, between the countries. Football managers are written about, and the supports follow the views printed and published, often resulting in the sacking of the manage.

Do I believe everything I read in a newspaper? A big NO. Anyway, the news is out of date by the time the newspaper arrives on your doorstep.

I recently was invited to visit the printing works of the Times and Sun newspaper in Wapping, East London.

Many years ago, I remember the newspapers moving out of Fleet Street, into new print works located on the river Thames at Wapping, and how the printworkers withdrew their labour, went on strike, because of the move, and that many would loose their jobs to new technologies.

As I walked down from the London Underground station (tube or metro), a ten minute walk to the printworks, I began to wonder what was all the fuss about. I would suspect that most of the workers who went on strike about the move would actually be nearer to their home.

We were told on the tour of the works, that the current site at Wapping would be closing down, and be moving to new premises with new print machines outside London, with 60% redundancies. This time there were no complaints, those that have lost their jobs will find more work elsewhere, and they will have had a good payout to help them on their way.

After a briefing, we went to the editorial offices of the Sun Newspaper, being overwhelmed by the red decor. The first print run of the paper was due at 21:30 hours, but they were waiting for the football results and putting the finishing touches to the next days news. We watched the big TV screens as Chelsea scored goals. I wondered if the reporter was at the ground or here in the news office.



From here we went into the print rooms spread over a number of floors. 

Robots seemed to float over the floor carrying large rolls of paper waiting for the newsprint. Large pipes delivered the ink to the presses. How much ink must they go through, and why does my small ink cartridges cost so much?

At 9:30pm the presses began to roll, and printed newspapers floated over our heads on conveyors, with machines inserting fliers and magazines, the stuff I usually throw away, continuing to the dispatch area to be taken by road to the newsagents, so that you and me can get the yesterdays news on our door steps.

Of cause, I had my free copies of the Times and the Sun. Did I read them? No, I listened to the radio for the news.