The Badger, Sussex University's excuse for a newspaper, vacillates somewhere between hate-rag and competent journalism, unsurprising considering it is run, written and organised by the students it is written for. It obviously isn't made and written to the standard of the paid one sheet, and seems to serve as a mouthpiece for the disgruntled leftie population Sussex Uni just can't seem to shake, although this is normally balanced out with some nice comment pieces and a detailed Arts section. If you're not a student, there's not much point picking it up, if you are, you'll always be in the know.
Let's start with the more frustrating side of things: the political rantings and ravings that have plagued this paper for years. I understand that University is a time to get to grips with politics, your own as well as others, but this paper's stock in trade is less reasoned debate and more ridiculous rant. Most of the 'serious' articles seem to be obsessed with some point or another, and normally end with cries to banish anything conservative and embrace liberal ideals. As if the crowd of lefties that hang around Sussex University like a bad odour weren't enough, they've turned the student newspaper into their mouthpiece: painful to read sometimes.
However, for every overly politicised article, there is normally a more interesting comment piece, or a more tongue in cheek article about a recent youth phenomenon, or a film review... If you can get past the front page, the Badger normally offers quite a lot more than first meets the eye. The film and TV pages are especially well done: plenty of interviews, reviews, comments and the like.
If you aren't a student, you really have little need to read the Badger: everything you can find it in, you can find in other papers all over town. And if you are a student: ignore the front page. That's the only way I managed to leaf through the Badger when I was still a student. read more
