Despite sounding like it could (and should) be me, Local Shopper is actually a free publication…read morethat provides a 'platform' (their words, not mine) for local businesses to advertise and offer deals to prospective clientele. Good idea, eh? Delivered by the Royal Mail once monthly to 207,000 homes and businesses in the Belfast, Bangor, Newtownabbey and Lisburn areas, there are different versions of the Local Shopper for each particular neighbourhood. For example, the one I receive is delivered to 13,500 homes in the Braniel, Tullycarnet, Gilnahirk and Dundonald areas, and is tweaked to suit our area, with adverts from the likes of Papa Johns in Dundonald, Envy tanning and beauty in Ballybeen and Gilnahirk Tyres and Exhausts. Not only do each of these businesses get a decent sized ad in this eight page magazine, but many of these ads double up as coupons / money-off vouchers for that particular company. Fun Works in Glengormley (one of very few businesses which isn't that nearby) are offering 20% off when you produce their ad, whilst the Green Energy Store in Bangor are promoting their business with £200 off selected energy store systems. Local Shopper is a great idea for local businesses, but also for the prospective customers. Good work!

The Local Shopper is a little advertisement free sheet which is popped in the door of of over…read more200,00 Belfast homes every month. It is quite informative and is tailored to suit your area. The businesses are actually quite useful, they'll let you know about skips for hire in your area, great deals on electrical goods and some great deals and vouchers for pizzas. As far as most advertisement free sheets go, this is a quality one worth reading instead of chucking in the bin.

AVOID!! Did nothing…read moreto help us when we were a victim of rogue spamming which affected our business. Once you sign up with this guy/website it's "sign your life away"! Check the terms and conditions first as entering your business details allows lookaly to have full use of your address as a public listing, and allow unfair slander from competition to be publicly posted about your businesses. Also he removes positive reviews posted and leaves the negatives! ROGUE!!!!! Claims "can't remove comments" - first of all, everyone knows that is utter b*lloucs, you have full control of your website as if i'm not mistaking you designed it?!?!? As smart as he is helpful. AVOID!!

If you find yourself reading this paper instead of doing something else, it means that you are…read moreeither an idiot or lead a particularly sad life. This is perhaps the most depressing thing I have ever read. It was in the shop I work in and on a particularly slow day I found myself bundling up the newspapers and I came across this... And after I woke up I decided to write a dreadful review. The chances of people reading this publication are minimal and then the chances of someone following an advertisement up must be less than nothing. What is less than nothing? I urge you to use the internet instead of using this news paper. It is pretty dreadful. But makes great bedtime reading...

Nick has nailed it about this one. The Ads for Free is basically a paper version of Gumtree, only…read moreyou have to buy it to browse the ads, unlike Gumtree where you can simply browse for free, which I imagine has dented their profits slightly. The Ads for free is something my father always has had lying about the house. He seems to buy it weekly, and I don't think he has ever actually bought anything from it, maybe he's sold stuff in it, but it's something I always used to grab and leaf through when I was hanging around waiting for a taxi or suchlike, and needed something to pass the time. Basically it is free for people to advertise their goods, everything from pets, to jewellery, to clothing, to furniture and garden sheds! The paper is a nice little yellow article and can be yours for only £1.50, if you would prefer to spend that than go online for free.

Fate is not one of my preferred free mags. Gosh, never thought I'd hear the day I said that. But it…read morereally shows the high standard of these types of glossies, which has really risen sharply in the past couple of years. Fate isn't as easy to follow as some of the others, nor is it as interesting, and its pages are mainly a nod to some kind of advertisement. However, I have somewhat enjoyed the two latest editions for a couple of reasons: a) June's edition was packed full of Graduation dinner tips, ads and recommendations. Ok, so I ended up not actually going anywhere (evening graduation is to blame for that one), but it was useful and concise and would definitely have benefited those looking for a suitable restaurant in which to celebrate. b) There are a ton of vouchers plonked right in the middle of the July / August edition - everything from a complimentary Kopparberg (Strawberry and Lime flavour) in Botanic Inns when you buy a pear Kopparberg, to free entry to Touch night club. Oooooh bargains. I haven't totally written Fate off yet.

This is actually an advertising vehicle dressed up as a little glossy mag. But, hey it's free and…read moreit is glossy, so what's not to like? It's a dinky handbag size publication which is totally professionally produced and I think it looks pretty darn good, despite its shameless plugs for various businesses. There are plenty of full page ads for upmarket clothes shops and the kind of bathroom and kitchen showrooms which set the husband's nerves on edge just by driving past. There are also lots of photos of various glam people at various glam events like fashion shows and race days. I particularly like the fashion pages which are genuinely well styled and good for ideas. As this is a local publication, you can be sure that all the clothes can be bought locally which is an improvement on some of the national glossies. The problem page is interesting too as it's written by an ex Miss Northern Ireland which presumably is an excellent qualification to give people advice on life's little problems. Unlike some of the big glossies, there's actually plenty to read in Fate (60 seconds with... is another good one) so my advice is if you see a copy, snaffle it and enjoy

The Irish News is the paper which apparently represents the nationalist community in NI. Personally…read moreI think this paper is quite fair and offers honest articles which cover a large portion of both communities. My old history lecturer Brian Feeney has a column in this paper and it really is a very witty one. This papers fairness I think does tend to make it a little on the dull side. It's hard to be entertaining when your not pointing an accusing finger or 'exposing' someone as the Sunday World loves to do every week. The sports section is probably the most bias part of the paper. There is way to much coverage of GAA. I don't have a problem with this on any political grounds. I have a problem with this because I find GAA to be the most boring sport on the planet.

I don't put a lot of stock in newspapers these days. I think it's just to hard for them to keep up…read morewith news, since online and broadcast news can react so much faster, but the Irish News is one paper I do have faith in. Yes, it's a nationalist paper (really, there's very little in Northern Ireland that isn't split along nationalist/unionist lines, but hopefully that's changing), but it provides quality news reporting, that is influenced by nationalist ideas, but not blinded by them. It's a tabloid by definition, but doesn't share any characteristics with the British red tops. You won't find any up-skirt pap shots of Lindsey Lohan here! Rather, you'll get interesting commentary from writers like Newton Emerson. It is mildly annoying that the website is subscription only, but given that that seems to be the way newspaper companies are headed, it might be something we have to get used to...

I never thought I'd see the day when I found a decent fashion magazine published in Northern…read moreIreland, and containing more than just prolific pictures of exorbitantly priced clothing. Well, it would appear I have. Eve provides an accessible peek into affordable fashion, with garments coming from the likes of chain stores such as River Island and French Connection, but also apparel from the likes of local shops such as Liberty Blue and Posh Frocks. It's focus is much wider than fashion at large though. This month's edition features an interview with Kylie (oh my word...have you heard her new song?!), another interview with The Wanted, an article on safe internet usage on websites such as Facebook, another article on whether or not women should make the first move (good qu!), as well as a guide to night life, TV and film. I personally really liked it, although there are better magazines which aren't local. However, as Northern Irish magazines go, Eve is one of the best.

This is the biggest scam going. Not only have they conned their advertisers out of money, they have…read morelaid off staff without paying them, defamed them and are now embroiled in lawsuits. Support the local media industry by not bothering with this rag: absolutely disgraceful.