When I pop into the supermarket I always make a point of grabbing a copy of 'i' - the mini-newspaper published by the company behind 'The Independent'. While this is not my usual reading material for browsing news and current affairs, I do like the idea behind a 20-30p print newspaper that avoids the excesses of tabloid-ism. Paying a pound or less each week seems worthwhile to support the experiment.
The editorial this week was especially reassuring. Executive editor Stefano Hatfield takes a swing at those snide commentators and pub bores who have taken it upon themselves to denigrate 'International Women's Day' with the usual cries of 'They've never had it so good!' and 'Why do we need Feminism anyway?'.
However, his support for the principles of equality and fair treatment might have been even more well received if he'd kept a keener eye on what was going on in the rest of the paper. Reading through to the 'Food and Drink' section we find experienced journalist and editor John Walsh giving a literary kicking to a new range of Eastern-themed London restaurants. Usually the sort of thing I'd skim or skip but my eye was drawn to the description of the bar stools as "painted a tart's-lipstick-red".
Maybe such a phrase can be explained away as artistic license or flowery description but does such borderline offensive language really deserve a place in a paper that opens with a defence of International Woman's Day?
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