The Guardian

2022 - 9 - 9

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How does the Guardian help digital readers distinguish analysis ... (The Guardian)

A striking new design now differentiates straight reporting from explanatory journalism, says Guardian and Observer global readers' editor Elisabeth ...

To my mind the designers have deftly signalled analysis journalism so that it is now not only distinguishable at first glance from what it isn’t, but has a positive identity of its own. Is the person on the ground a Ukrainian? The busy reader, the new reader, or the reader who has alighted on a piece from some other part of the web, then has no need to pause to deduce whether the duck is actually some other kind of bird. One reader emailed on 28 February: “I see today a photo of uniformed personnel pointing a rifle at a person laying face-down on the ground, arms splayed … Amid a fast-moving news cycle of complex issues that increasingly bleed into one another, the ability to pause and make sense of them for our readers is even more important,” he said. In November 2020, I passed on the following feedback to senior editors: “The readers’ editor’s office seems to be dealing with an increasing number of complaints over analysis articles that are presented – as far as the reader is concerned – as news. Hopefully these changes address that, as part of a wider effort to innovate in the way that we project and present our digital journalism with different designs and formats.” Like the opinion pages, these pieces are differentiated from news by a tinted background – in this case pale pink – and carry the author’s byline in large italic font. Written most often by a newsroom journalist who is a specialist in their subject, these pieces are commissioned with the aim not of reporting the news but of explaining it. Some might think of it as the “ The change of prime minister in the UK this week has prompted a flurry. But in the past fortnight, regular visitors to the Guardian’s website may have noticed such articles have a striking new design and clear labelling.

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When bitcoin plunges, Buttcoin cheers: the online community ... (The Guardian)

A Reddit subforum for people who are horrified by the proliferation of crypto scams and pyramid schemes pokes fun at cryptocurrency.

“I think if the crypto cult was just a bunch of dudes off in the woods with a server farm and a maypole there wouldn’t be any real call for Buttcoin to exist,” said Joe. Another user observed: “This sub makes a lot of jokes that I consider comic relief, but everything about this sucks, in reality.” “It was for a couple of reasons, but the NFT stuff was kind of a big one,” she told the Guardian. “I was secretly making fun of him,” the user wrote, “till I recently heard the bad news … Times are tough for most.” He pointed to the victims of Celsius, an unlicensed crypto “bank” that offered massive returns to over a million investors in an alleged ponzi scheme that It was just kind of embarrassing, I guess.” She’s doing “a lot better now”, but still browses Buttcoin: “The people are funny, and I know too much about cryptocurrency to not at least casually browse the site at this point.” “I’m absolutely fucking praying for the downfall of cryptocurrency,” she wrote. “Even if they are assholes, I don’t relish the idea of the average [investor] losing their life savings even if they should have been able to see the scam for what it is. (For example: a Buttcoin user jokes that a 2003 Toyota Camry’s rising price amid the crypto crash makes the Camry a superior “store of value”. “Every 2003 Camry has a unique VIN and you can drive it to the supermarket too … “I know this may sound pathetic but I get a dopamine hit when I see the bitcoin price going down. “I’m kinda tired and need more time to think of new lower priced memes.”

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Intelligent toaster and a 'nappy fullness sensor' among UK ... (The Guardian)

Other inventions include a humane insect remover, a gas-flushing toilet and a collar that stops dogs fighting.

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The yolk's on us: when did the humble egg become so fancy? (The Guardian)

They're cheap and easy to cook. But as demand soars, it seems eggs are becoming luxury items. Plus Felicity Cloake puts regular and posh varieties to a ...

The white feels very compact and tight (possibly because it’s the smallest egg in the test), the yolk is deeply yellow (this is usually down to the hen’s diet) and the taste? And the more specific the location – Daylesford and Stonegate for example – the more premium the brands feel.” His advice is to ignore all the words, all the typography, all the Farrow & Ball colours on the packaging. Go on Google Earth, get the address, and have a look for yourself. But it’s a fact that most shoppers (in a rush, mindful of our ever-decreasing spending power) are more likely to be swayed by a word such as “happy” than a Peta investigation. When it comes to the more premium brands, one of the main points of differentiation is provenance, says Bullen. Now, there are eggs and there are Tesco Finest Bluebell Araucanas, which come in a pale blue box and a “striking pastel blue” shell. [pledged to spend £500m](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jul/05/uk-living-costs-squeeze-sainsburys-prices-low-sales?ref=biztoc.com&curator=biztoc.com&utm_source=biztoc.com) keeping the costs of everyday staples such as eggs down. In all, the egg appears to be going through a similar rags-to-riches trajectory as kale. Organic (which makes up 4% of the market) adds further requirements: no genetically modified feed, no antibiotics, flocks no larger than 3,000, more outdoor access, and no “beak trimming” – a mutilation designed to stop hens pecking each other, as they do when in stressful conditions. Most of the growth has been in the free-range category, which now accounts for 63.7% of the market, according to Defra. We ate 202 each in the UK in 2021, compared with 176 eggs each in 2004.

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The most scenic railway in Europe: how an old Welsh mining line ... (The Guardian)

A Which? survey has found that Wales has the best scenic railway, the Ffestiniog, plus two more in the top 10, which beats Switzerland and Norway.

[Vale of Rheidol](https://www.rheidolrailway.co.uk/) line from Aberystwyth to Devil’s Bridge. [Pignes](https://www.dignelesbains-tourisme.com/en/move-out/the-tourist-train-of-the-pignes/) route up from Nice to Digne les Bains. It comes as no surprise to him that, according to a new survey by consumer body [Which?, Wales is home to three of the 10 most scenic railway](https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/overseas-destinations/article/most-scenic-railway-journeys-uk-europe-aE7zC0T4g6yihttps:/www.which.co.uk/reviews/overseas-destinations/article/most-scenic-railway-journeys-uk-europe-aE7zC0T4g6yihttps:/www.which.co.uk/reviews/overseas-destinations/article/most-scenic-railway-journeys-uk-europe-aE7zC0T4g6yi) lines in Europe. His experiences led to a book, [Railway Adventure,](http://www.ltcrolt.org.uk/books/railway_adventure.htm) and inspired the 1953 Ealing comedy [ The Titfield Thunderbolt](https://www.theguardian.com/film/video/2013/jan/15/titfield-thunderbolt-watch-a-clip-60th-anniversary-video). In Wales there are now 16 heritage lines, seven of them connected to a mainline service, the unsung classic A few miles down the coast at Tywyn is another beauty: the [Talyllyn](https://www.talyllyn.co.uk/), also a top 10 entry. [Welsh Highland](https://www.festrail.co.uk/), coming in from Caernarfon. [Which?](https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/overseas-destinations/article/most-scenic-railway-journeys-uk-europe-aE7zC0T4g6yi) members on aspects of Europe’s most picturesque lines, from views to comfort, cleanliness and value for money. “Part of that service is telling the story of the landscape, particularly the slate mining. Yet all came second to the Ffestiniog, a former industrial line that was hauled from oblivion by teams of volunteers over three decades. “It’s a stunning panorama,” says local resident David Jones, “The best possible start or finish to any railway journey.” Jones is chair of [Great Little Trains of Wales](https://www.greatlittletrainsofwales.co.uk/en/), a group that promotes a dozen heritage lines around the country.

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