You know how 'what's on' and local guides are kind of cheap, tacky looking things filled with…read morerubbish you have no interest in? Fair enough, they're free right? You can't expect high quality design, print and content from a free guide, right? Area Magazine begs to differ. From the same people who produce the wonderful art/music/culture guide 'Fused', Area is a monthly pocket sized guide which contains all of the coming attractions in Brum. Gigs, shows, theatre, art, special events, and it's all present beautifully with original art, top notch layout and design and illustrated covers by various up and coming artists. The magazines are in all of the local hotspots, if you want to know what's what in Brum you should go pick one up. The only problem is that they are so nice you won't want to throw them away when you're done and you can end up with quite a hefty collection!

Daily Mail is my guilty pleasure. Sure it is often sensationalistic and it is definitely a tabloid;…read morehowever, it has many redeeming qualities. For tragedies like lockdowns, mass shootings, air disasters, or the deaths of famous figures, Daily Mail is the first "news" source to provide relevant photos, names, ages, and details. It's not without drama! Headlines often read So and So "Breaks Their Silence!" "Doctors Issue Major Warning!" "So and So's Secret Babies!" The comments readers post are often entertaining. Especially when a tornado occurs in the United States and the readers/commenters are just flabbergasted that people would chose to not have a tornado shelter in their home, or would even opt to live in a region that is often tornadic. I'm surprised Daily Mail has been around since 1896. I'm also surprised they offer Scottish, Irish, Continental, and Indian editions. For their coverage of United States celebrities, they generally publish a series of photos of the person or people walking to and from a coffee shop, a store, or in and or out of a restaurant. Often they are "under cover," "makeup free," or "unrecognizable," meaning they aren't dressed and made up as if they were going to a magazine cover shoot. Which becomes humorous after you get their M.O. regarding these "stories." It's fun, too, to learn the British phrases the Daily Mail often uses, such as "nappies" for diapers, and "pins" for legs. Checking the headlines on their app is part of my morning routine. Thanks, Daily Mail for being the first to report important details that Americans want before the United States can officially release a story's details.

A Yelp listing for the Daily Mail already exists and I'm kind of surprised to be the first one to…read morereview it considering its reach and popularity. I'm a fan of the Daily Mail. For many years, the Daily Mail's website at www.dailymail.co.uk has been one of my primary news sources. In recent years, I've also used the app. There are long stretches of time where I check the Daily Mail for news almost daily. My wife and her friends have eye-rolled at me for referencing this publication, but for the most part, I think it's pretty solid. The Daily Mail is not widely considered a legitimate news source because it's a tabloid. However, most of the news articles I've chosen to consume via the Daily Mail have been factual. Yes, the Daily Mail is sensationalist so you have to read its articles with a grain of salt. What I like about the Daily Mail, similar to TMZ, is how they are quick to get right to the point and dig up whatever photos and videos they can on a particular topic. For example, if there's a mass shooting, Daily Mail is good about identifying the shooter quickly and uncovering whatever they can about the shooter, from social media posts to any other sorts of publicly available information. Other media outlets don't do that and ethically, I understand why. The Daily Mail also puts together neat infographics. For example, I thought their infographics illustrating how the United States carried out drone strikes on foreign targets were particularly interesting and memorable. When it comes to photos and videos, the Daily Mail cuts straight to the chase, showing you the most important clips and screen captures. When it comes to reporting, each article is front-loaded with quick and easy-to-read bullet points that summarize the most relevant information. I appreciate that. No, Daily Mail is not perfect, but most of the time, it tells me what I want to know. I also read other news sources such as the Associated Press, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Fox News to see what their version or take might be. At the end of the day, for the foreseeable future, I see no reason to stop reading the Daily Mail. I like it.

The largest newsroom in Europe (outside of London), the post and Mail produces; The Birmingham…read morePost, The Birmingham Mail, The Sunday Mercury and it also prints the City's edition of The Metro. Located on Colmore row, it's a 10 minute walk from Newstreet Station, past Rackhams and down Weaman street. If you are thinking of becoming a journalist it is THE place to head. There are numerous well experienced hacks and photographers who you can steal tips from. Competition is tough and they apparently receive nearly 100 applications for work experience a week, so try and get in early. All teams will be re-locating to the Fort Dunlop building in the summer.

Get a Grip offer a waterbased ink, screenprinting service and its all ran by Sam and Kay. Whilst I…read morehaven't as yet had anything printed by these guys I've seen them in action working with young people to produce screen prints and the fruits of their labour is on display and to buy in their studio at the Custard Factory. The quality of the print work is outstanding and they are super helpful if you have any questions. The list of their print services and options is really comprehensive both on the website or if you pop into the studio. In the studio they have badges made from printing offcuts, sweatshirts and tees with awesome graphics as well as bags and cards. Sadly the prints on the wall for bands you probably love that they've printed up aren't for sale, but they show off the quality of service.

Lovely printed goods - I'm a sucker for a pretty screenprint!…read more They printed some promotional totes for a friend of mine, and the quality was lovely. I popped into the shop last week to see what else they have on sale, and was excited to see they've been collaborating with other local artists - eg. Yellow Door Bindery - to create limited edition runs. Not only do these guys know their stuff (as clearly evidenced all over their website and blog, including how-tos which I LOVE as sometimes artists can be so precious about sharing tips!) but they're also environmentally responsible donating a percentage of their sale to charity. All round good guys - we need more like you!

I started my journalistic career at Redbrick! It was 2002 and I was a cocky and precocious young…read morewriter, working alongside plenty more cocky and precocious young writers. It was like Press Gang only with less double denim and more Home Counties accents. I didn't appreciate quite how good a student newspaper it was until I encountered lesser student publications. The editorial standards were, and still are, high. The free paper is distributed around the campus and contains a range of news and features, some specific to the uni and others of a more general interest. The crossword makes an ideal way to pass time between lectures.

As a previous student of the University of Birmingham I often found myself picking up a copy of…read moreRedbrick, the student newspaper. It is run entirely by students, which I think is really impressive. It is also free and is dropped around the campus every few weeks, which is a bonus as obviously students are supposed to be skint! They cover a range of areas and issues in the paper, including news features, arts, music, culture, sports and travel. It seems there is something for everyone and they do have regular features, one of which is a 'what's in and what's out' type of column which I think is highly entertaining. I think it is really useful especially for those who are new to Birmingham as it informs you of what is going on in Birmingham and of course around the campus. It is particularly aimed at students but I have also seen academics reading it too. It is definitely worth a read if you are a student at UOB!

The Express and Star is a local newspaper targeted at those living in the Black Country and the…read morewider West Midlands area. The Star is Britain's best-selling regional newspaper. The Sandwell Chronicle is also published at the Express and Star Headquarters in West Bromwich. I read the Express and Star as well as the Sandwell Chronicle. Reading them is a great way for me to get an idea of what is happening in my local area. Although I visit the Star website, I do like having a physical copy of the newspaper. I have worked at the Express and Star previously and I had a very good time there. Working at the Star gave me my first insight into the world of journalism and how the media works. The journalists whom I worked alongside made me more than welcome and the environment they work in inspired me to want to get into journalism.

I grew up reading the Express and Star and have completed several placements in its various…read morenewsrooms. It is the biggest selling evening regional newspaper in the country, flying in the face of those who relish declaring the death of print media. It is something of a Black Country institution, with local issues for Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall amongst others. The editorial tone is perhaps more right-wing than I like from my newspaper and I miss the fashion and lifestyle supplements that they used to publish. They cover a lot of community events and stories, proving that there is still a big demand for this sort of news coverage. I tend to get most of my news online now, but I'll always have flick through my Nan's copy of the E&S. The daily TV listings and classifieds are really useful, as are the property pages when house hunting.

It doesn't look like much from the outside but this is the head quarters for the newspaper. If they…read morehad nicer decor then people may be tempted to come in a take some copies. I know it's not much but it's the little things that count. The staff that are here are fairly helpful and seem to genuinely care about the newspaper. The newspaper covers a range of topics that are current within Solihull from; business to current affairs and dating to sports. So it's very up-do-date, diverse and shows the culture of Solihull (and Birmingham.) I think the positive impression of news paper the needs to come through a bit more in the visual appearance here. However, I understand finances may be an issue for this.