The Guardian Reviews

Guardian team, I love The Guardian, I really love The Guardian. You app is making me hate using The Guardian.

I get it, you want users to upgrade to premium, and so you give prominent call-outs to part of the experience non paid users have no access to.

But placing the hamburger in the bottom right isn’t a natural pattern. And creating more prominence for premium features than the nav is ridiculous.

Please fix the nav, it just creates such a poor experience.

Once you’ve fixed the Nav can you take a deep look at IA. The visual information hierarchy places important stories on dark grey backgrounds, and further down the page less important stories on bright white. Red headlines aren’t accessible on grey.

Then the interaction paradigm. Left and right are taken by your paid features. But hamburger opens a drawer on the left which is different. Put both paid features on the right and keep the left for Nav. Or find a new way to invoke paid features, don’t duplicate.

Lastly can you fix the type ramp?? I counted 10+ weights and sizes. It’s really off-putting to the eye.

If you fix all of this I promise I’ll pay, just give me visual calm , be organized, thoughtful and intentional about elements. Let the words and images sing.

The design is cramped. It's like buying coffee in an American supermarket. Hard to concentrate. The font is too small. There is little variety. It's always the same people writing about the same things, and basically saying the same thing over and over again. I feel like you have gone overboard with using color. It reduces the gravitas of the site. Try to organize the site into "interest groups." Politics, culture, art, Tories, Labour, and then have sections for England, Wales, N Ireland, EU, the US, etc. The current mish-mash style is confusing and annoying. Try not to keep popping up every minute with asking for donations. It's annoying and counter-productive. I think you can do better if you have guest writers every week.

Every article I read is thrown in my face with a running total to "contribute." When you resort to this kind of vile guilt trips, then it's not really going to be a contribution, is it?

Stop harassing your readers. If free access is a problem for you, don't make a option. There are thousands of other free sites one could access if one doesn't want to pay for your subscription.

Considering all the ”Tell us …” questionnaires The Guardian typically has, it’s odd that there is no way to point out factual errors or statistical misleading statements in Guardian articles. I’d imagine this would be the sort of things they would be genuinely interested in catching, but I suppose it requires too many man-hours to go through.
This is mostly on content, not TheGuardian itself, but you can’t really separate the two: The Guardian has started down the road of offering certain articles only as audio, next stop video. I for one don’t want another TV channel, so from my perspective it's another nail in the subscription coffin.
That said, The Guardian is still vastly better (wrt contents, interface, stability) than Apple News (which you’re not even able to review here), so money reasonably well spent, I suppose.

If I want to vary my reading, I cannot pay over $150 for every news outlet I like. NYT and WAPO both offer annual subscriptions under $40 (if you try to cancel), and I just got a year of the Economist for $100, and I consider them the gold standard. I really like the Guardian, but I can’t justify paying 50% more than what I pay for the Economist. How does my price complaining relate to TheGuardian ? Well, TheGuardian generously lets you read for free, but constantly reminds you that you are reading free. Every single article comes with an overlay telling you how many articles you have read at their expense. I should also mention, the price I am willing to pay for a news journal is directly proportional to their self-restraint in expressing political bias. Thats why I would happily pay 3x more for the Economist over NYT and WAPO. Economist is up front about it’s views but writing style makes a clear distinction between those views and their facts. NYT and WAPO get some great scoops but the degree of bias is at times almost sickening. Guardian does a lot better job than those two, but not so good that I would pay the premium I am willing to pay for pure unpolluted news.

I still don’t get articles’ links when they are placed into live update feeds. I don’t get to enjoy David Squire’s editorial cartoons in TheGuardian because they are too small. Those are annoying. The strong neo-liberal influence on content is a feature, not intended as the obvious bug it amounts to.

Otherwise, good stuff. But keep looking for information about certain hotspots and for certain important emphasis. They don’t want you looking too hard at the Middle East, for example. Used to take comments, but the discussion must have turned sour on several notable opinion leaders featured within.

The Guardian is great. I read it everyday. I'm dropping a star from my review though because the new icon is so bad. I loved the old logo. The blue circle-masked lowercase "g" was distinct, unique and popped out in a sea of apps on my home screen. The new, black and white, times roman, capital G in a circle feels like any generic news publication. Worse, TheGuardian is hard to find now when I scroll through my apps and the widget icon, wow, I can't even tell it's a G. It could be that stupid new uber icon for all I know.

Seriously, I understand the world is a depressing, polorizing place these days and the new black/white logo might be meant to represent the times, but please, when Trump leaves office, can we have the old logo back?

Finally, Yahoo and the Gap both changed their iconic logos an few years ago. The Gap changed theirs back and still have a business, yahoo not so much. Please don't be the next Yahoo!

Major media outlets fall into the editorial trap of softening headlines. In an attempt to seem impartial and tell both sides, they leave readers wondering what the point is, what is fact, fiction or all just a matter of opinion and perspective. Media companies do not need to give a voice and broadcast platform to anti-democracy forces. In today’s noisy, fast paced digital landscape, plain language that states the facts is needed. Lies need to be called lies, not couched and given credence as “beliefs.” The Guardian consistently delivers a fact based through-line from their headlines to the last period in their reporting. It’s refreshing.

For U.S. (California) readers, this paper provides a news and social perspective of America welcomely different from that of home grown newspapers. Opinion pieces, editorial cartoons, style and emphasis typically have a refreshingly “foreign” take to them. This applies not only to the U.S., but news of the world at large. A fine addition to your other reads. (On the other hand, if you’re lucky enough to still have a local newspaper, cherish it and keep that subscription. Where else to find Saturday’s Little League scores, or revelations of which City Hall politico recently got their knickers in a twist, or raided the public purse?)

I purchased the monthly subscription and it is well worth it. The news that is covered and the links within articles is simply “Outstanding!” To be able to read current news and link to older stories concerning issues is incredibly fascinating and informative.

Each day I find new information and detailed stories I didn’t know existed. I love the stories. Was reading up on Chernobyl and the newly installed enclosure and went through each of the links reading about life within the exclusion zone and the possibility of a solar farm. The content and how easy it is to navigate is simply awesome. One article and its associated links can lead to hours of fascinating information at your fingertips.

If I could change one thing it would be to include easier crossword puzzles for novices like me that are working our way up to the more difficult ones.

The content is distinctly left leaning and usually manages to avoid being too strident, though I have to say it is noticeably a little less sober than it once was.

Once upon a time, its format and presentation was classier, more elegant, and easier to read than it is now. Indeed, I was sad to see it lose its white and blue format and its distinctive font.

Nowadays The Guardian looks and feels like so many other news sites and has lost much of its individuality. Yet despite the old branding being far better, I still persevere with The Guardian because the quality of its reporting does redeem it a little.

For the nearly fifty years I have been reading it, the Guardian has maintained a consistently high standard of journalism. Affectionately known in Britain as the Grauniad because of its more than occasional misprints, its editorial policy does not stray from the intelligent, liberal democratic, left of center, humanist ethic that has been the common thread of post WWII euro politics through the millennium. That thread is starting to fray but the Guardian doesn’t waver. The on-line version shows the newspapers’ adaptability to a new world publishing order without selling out to the tech-bro meme (read me-me) culture that threatens us all.
Long Live the Grauniad!

2019 jan 6:
It has been little over a year since i wrote the older review below and still feel the same. I do have one question, is it more beneficial to anyone by my becoming a subscriber versus keeping my current annual supporter status? What’s different?

Older review:
After having used the free app for about a year, decided to become an annual supporting member. Revenues generated go back into the journalism and not into any extraneous bells and whistles. (I do not consider providing for a web presence extraneous, these days it becomes a necessity.) I suppose it is my way of supporting the Free Press.

Attractively designed with lots of photos. A compelling way to read the news that compares favorably with the very good NYT app. The comments on political articles are less thoughtful than those in The Times, but sometimes raw rage and non-prissy language seem more appropriate. Also, The Times doesn’t dare to publish cartoons. The Guardian’s cartoons are brilliant and indispensable (though some of them don’t blow up properly for small-screen reading). The Country Diary column, which has run for over one hundred years, sets the news in a wider arc of nature and humanity. The Guardian takes you places no other newspaper can reach, and TheGuardian is a pretty nimble vehicle for that journey.

I love the new redesign! I had mostly stopped reading after the last redesign a few years ago - the light weight font (especially in white text over magenta half-device-width squares) was really hard to read. I also found it cartoonish, but the main problem was I couldn’t read it. I went from a daily reader, to just checking occasionally for balance against my other news sources.

The new design is bold, more serious, and easy to read. Thank you for respecting my larger type preference.

I’m back as a reader! I have ignored, with some guilt, your donation requests. Going forward I’m happy to donate, as the format now allows me to enjoy your valuable content.

I don’t really believe in paying for news, however after several weeks of reading the guardian I bought a subscription just to support the work they do. It is by far the most objective and well thought out written fair and balanced news worldwide. The way they covered the Palestinian Israeli conflict was very two-sided unlike most news agencies. I am an American and I believe that the guardian covers American use in a better Way than any American corporation. New stories are discussed in depth and with no tilt or bias, I recommend anybody who can buy a subscription and or donate money to fund the wonderful work being done at the guardian, Please do so

TheGuardian : Fast-loading, good layout, and I love that when you open it it pre-loads all the stories when you open it, so if you’re going somewhere without internet (whether an airplane or just the black spot in your own home) you can read all the stories.

The content: Well-written, properly edited proper English, not like so many clickbait sites (and even other journalistic organizations!) where it seems people have forgotten grammar or how to spell. Good journalistic content though a bit lefty, I’d appreciate cogent opinions from the other side of the spectrum as well. At least it’s clear what’s news and what’s opinion unlike (many!) others. Lots of free news but I pay for this one, it’s worth it.

I was introduced to the Guardian newspaper when it used to be called the Manchester Guardian. By my dad. Enoch Powell was bleeding Britain out of its moral compass, Cliff Richard and the Beatles were ruling the waves. Tony Greig was leading the English cricket team. Since then I moved countries and occasionally lost touch with my favorite broadsheet . I would occasionally scour the sidewalks of Calcutta and pick up a seven-day old Guardian that would cost me my entire week’s pocket money. I would keep it by my pillow, till the week after.
And then came the internet. The Guardian has been my go to site every few hours on my iPhone. As if my small hands were made to hold the Guardian all the time.
Please continue the excellent journalism and writing. Thank you!

As an American living while watching the upside down politics and perpetual chaos in the states, even the reputable news outlets often feel like insidious repetition puppets; I have great empathy for the excellent journalists repeating the same old stuff daily while exposed to abuse by their President.
Fox Entertainment is not in their league, not even close. Fox is simply a bully pulpit for the right wing Patriarch agendas. For those who choose to never leave their own backyard literally or figuratively they have found their traditional safety net at FOX. We know Rupert Murdoch and family laugh as they fill their pockets now; unfortunately, there’s always a balancing act be it this lifetime or another. Their contribution to the dysfunction of modern culture and progress will not go down unnoticed in the history books or higher realms of accountability.
I also have compassion although it’s ‘detached compassion’ for the employees and headliners at Fox. It feels as though they have truly sold their souls and ‘can’t see the forest for the trees’.

So, we must look to other resources and seek truth and wisdom where we can find it. The Guardian is my first choice for information at home and abroad.
Thank you.
I know it takes great effort to offer this service to the world.

I don’t who will read this.
I find the Guardian’s ability to include reporting, analysis, reflection and comparison within the same piece constantly refreshing.
In the US the ‘serious’ papers separate reporting and analysis. The front page carries the facts without comment although the subject matter may imply treason and an existential constructional crisis.
You have to wade through to the opinion sections on back page (pace NYT) for any analysis. Even then, it is a week later and, in order not to appear biased, they include pieces from either side of the fence, no matter where in the swamp the fence has been erected.
Some stories - the role of Russian and other oligarch money floating the US property and fine art markets - hang around in plain sight for decades without being reported. When the festering sore breaks the surface, it is with with instant shock and horror - but that is another subject.

The Guardian continues to be a stellar news source for the world eager to comprehend the world in which we all live. With unabashed comprehensive and uncompromising ethos, the Guardian provides its readers news relevant to today.

Opinion pieces offer perspectives not shared by all, but can give the reader pause to muse, perhaps seeing “the other side” for the first time, thus opening the mind to other possibilities, and sometimes new direction of thought.

The Guardian stands firmly upright, by itself, against any of the other credible, well-respected and lauded news sources from around the world, and it deserves to be given the utmost credit for the written styles of its reporters who strive to relate news stories that serve to educate the general public. Education is knowledge, and the Guardian brings that every-single day to its millions of readers.

So let me get this straight, you appeal to the populous for funds to save your (so called) unbiased Guardian, while stating, “No one edits your Editor” (no one puts Baby in a corner, right?) despite his/her blatant ignorance of immigration law.
You falsely label those who oppose ILLEGAL entry into our sovereign nation “haters of immigration”. Once again, People don’t hate immigrants, they adamantly and vehemently oppose those who disregard our country’s rule of law. That is not hate, that is tough love, sister!
Let me tell you this, you are fools. I won’t waste another minute reading your yellow trash. I had not idea until today how far flung the Guardian had become. You made it clear. You will not understand my complaint because you are not equipped to process this view and that is why your readership is sucking wind. You and people like you are stubborn. At the very least, your editor should be Edited, for sure!

Latest version took another step backwards! What's with the tiny headlines? Most are one size, but others are small, and virtually unreadable. Make them all the same larger size — or, give readers an option to do that!

The recent change in design colors remains hard on the eyes. The red-and-black scheme with BIG, BLACK, bolded headline fonts make the text harder to read and focus on — and more tiring to scroll through. This new version SCREAMS cheap tabloid; a Rupert Murdoch look. Another major step backwards.

In contrast, our other iPad still has the previous version on it, with the original blue icon, blue section heads, and regular font headlines. When I used that today, I was struck by how much better it was. Much gentler, easier to read, and more inviting!

Please bring back the old color scheme. Or, at least, give users an option of color themes — new, classic, dark, outdoors, etc.

You also need to open up commenting on more stories — e.g., even tech stories often omit them, but expert users have much to add.

By the way, *stop* adding the “What to Watch” or “Culture” sections to our home pages. We delete it, but after a week or two, they reappear!

As to the newspaper itself, keep up the good work! You are an invaluable source of diverse news and progressive perspectives.

Since a recent update you must have internet access to read your saved articles. It also use to keep the article you were reading open and in the slot you had read to, even for days. Now it refreshes and if you have internet goes to the top of the article or if no internet a blank page saying no internet.

Please put it back to the way it was. I have a flight soon and travel will internet is limited. I have saved articles to read during this time.

Please please fix this. Please please tell me you have not permanently changed it to be like other news apps. The Guardian is better keep it that way. PLEASE!

Please support accurate and in-depth reporting. The Guardian reports from an international perspective, covering world events that are often not picked-up by US news sources. Also; a wide variety of news stories, public interest, and social topics are covered.

While their free coverage is broad everyone must accept that The Guardian, (And NYT & WAPO amongst others), must still pay the bills in order to function. So; please provide financial support by buying a paid subscription. [I; in no part, have any business dealings with this or other news sources. I do believe in paying my share].

In these “fact free” times where many celebrate, encourage, create and disseminate misinformation, The Guardian is one of the few remaining beacons of evidence and research in this world. I use multiple sources of information to try to confirm news and information for myself. The Guardian is at the top of my list for reliability and pertinence.

The Guardian also gets high points for the increasing courage required in these threatening times as one attempts to seek the truth.

I appreciate that the Guardian doesn’t try to distract me with trivial entertainment type fluff stories.

The Guardian allows me to access news that I feel is a break from the corporate press domestically. Their coverage of climate change is hand in hand with activism. Many of the links provided have been instrumental in linking me to networks engaged in social activism. It is this binding of journalism to action (theory/praxis) that is lacking in US print journalism. It tends to encourage apathy. In addition, the Guardian’s long reads I have archived on not a few occasions as their deeper treatment warrants reflection and I appreciate that. This, too, marks a break from the sound byte culture. Peter Stedman

They hold themselves to high journalistic standards one of which prevents them from putting up a paywall. Journalism is essential I wish they would allow you to support them on a sliding scale. My current job situation won’t allow it.

Only improvement would be a slide towards the center to fill the void in nuanced and democratically available (free) journalism. They are the last ones standing it seems and they lean so left.

Download. Read. Support. Knowledge is our lifeblood and without free journalism we all die of ignorance.