tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post3400781826820254374..comments2023-12-11T08:49:46.305+00:00Comments on Dizzy Thinks: The failure and complicity of the Fourth EstateUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-27957788037493353692009-04-21T12:33:00.000+01:002009-04-21T12:33:00.000+01:00Lobby Hack is right in a way BUT the problem in my...Lobby Hack is right in a way BUT the problem in my day (and I have repeated this many times) is that Editors have Owners and mere lobby hacks will not get everything they want printed! Full stop. I got out in the end and never looked back. Best days were news freelancing - getting the stories that lazy sods missed. But, of course, there were more outlets to sell the stories to. Can anybody guess where our honest news will come from in, say, 2084?Lexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12289001945156383183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-64403461205061010452009-04-20T05:57:00.000+01:002009-04-20T05:57:00.000+01:00"And now, over to our home affairs repeater."
Has..."And now, over to our home affairs repeater."<br /><br />Has a certain ring to it, doesn't it?Williamhttp://www.twenty4ten.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-85932946551171103052009-04-20T00:40:00.000+01:002009-04-20T00:40:00.000+01:00I read your article two days ago, then lo and beho...I read your article two days ago, then lo and behold, found <A HREF="http://dickpuddlecote.blogspot.com/2009/04/stupid-scotsman-and-bastardisation-of.html" REL="nofollow">an example</A> tonight regarding one of my pet hates.<br /><br />Do they merely teach copy & paste at the NCTJ these days?Dick Puddlecotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01481866882188932892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-62675907336296036132009-04-19T21:43:00.000+01:002009-04-19T21:43:00.000+01:00Re. jorb's post above Flat Earth News was written ...Re. jorb's post above Flat Earth News was written by Nick Davies not Christopher Booker... It is an excellent book btwPedantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-67154065327673781362009-04-19T17:54:00.000+01:002009-04-19T17:54:00.000+01:00"Is it a mix of craven groupthink due to wanting a..."Is it a mix of craven groupthink due to wanting access and the belief that the likes of McBride can break a journalist's career?"<br /><br />How about because the journalists are far too close to the politicians and they move in the same social circles - we have a corrupt and self-serving managerialist elite.snafunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-4860439703766681402009-04-19T15:14:00.000+01:002009-04-19T15:14:00.000+01:00Dizzy,
can you brief me as to the procedure for s...Dizzy,<br /><br />can you brief me as to the procedure for submitting an FOI request. I want to do some closer investigations into the depredations to the armed forces under ZanuLabour - and also the state of the new carrier and submarine programmes.Minekillernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-73492180825533692272009-04-19T12:52:00.000+01:002009-04-19T12:52:00.000+01:00thanks for blocking my comment. cheersthanks for blocking my comment. cheersKevin Boatanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15565707835270873506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-37888025960337034192009-04-19T11:22:00.000+01:002009-04-19T11:22:00.000+01:00Demetrius,
The BBC have one of the biggest news g...Demetrius,<br /><br />The BBC have one of the biggest news gathering operations in the world. They gather it from Damian McBride, they gather it from Alistair Campbell...Garethnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-12523396076065836672009-04-18T21:36:00.000+01:002009-04-18T21:36:00.000+01:00I wrote about the state of the media a while back ...I wrote about the state of the media a while back <A HREF="" REL="nofollow">http://www.boatangdemetriou.com/2009/03/21st-century-media-and-slippery-slope.html</A>It is a disgrace in this country, and around the world, that so many are so complicit through their own ignorance.Kevin Boatanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15565707835270873506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-140922627787765372009-04-18T14:35:00.000+01:002009-04-18T14:35:00.000+01:00How long will newspapers last once the public real...How long will newspapers last once the public realises they are the pet poodles of polticians?<br />The public will turn to bloggers to get some idea of what is happening a why. If a Blogger is bought out by politicians it will be apparent by his comments and the public will visit other sites instead.idontbeleiveithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00354431141200563701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-778906544205263482009-04-18T14:28:00.000+01:002009-04-18T14:28:00.000+01:00Dizzy - you are absolutely spot on. I despair of ...Dizzy - you are absolutely spot on. I despair of journalists today andc how they never ask the difficult questions or work to uncover the whole story. I pointed out that Kenneth Clarke told Andrew Marr that he was quite sure that two thirds of MPs were doing absolutely nothing wrong (with reghard to their expenses). It was an open goal "so Ken 33% are doing something wrong - what and what would you do about it?" did he ask it did he heck. I've written and asked him (Clarke - he is my MP) letter not even acknowledged so wein a published letter, asked him through the local paper - no response as far as I am aware.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-13847113256713291932009-04-18T08:27:00.000+01:002009-04-18T08:27:00.000+01:00This actually rings true about business journalism...This actually rings true about business journalism as well. A few years ago I ran an IT related website and was amazed to realise how often mainstream newspapers effectively re-published company press releases. <br />I don't think there is any political significance in all of this from a left/right or government/opposition perspective. Better journalism is what is required rather than simply having Labour mad dogs replaced by Conservative mad dogs.robert craigiehttp://greeninktory.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-72253286539566118722009-04-18T08:01:00.000+01:002009-04-18T08:01:00.000+01:00Great post Mr Dizzy.
The berk who posted the hatc...Great post Mr Dizzy.<br /><br />The berk who posted the hatchet job on Guido has spent more time researching that story than anything else they have written in the last year.Platohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416276749202589235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-69039838726447297082009-04-18T00:46:00.000+01:002009-04-18T00:46:00.000+01:00I used to freelance as a stringer for a fairly hig...I used to freelance as a stringer for a fairly high circulation evening newspaper.<br /><br />The chief reporter said: "I can't understand it. You have so many interesting stories about the council. Our reporters attend those same meetings, yet you get loads more stories than they get. How do you do it?"<br /><br />My reply was: "I do something the reporters don't bother to do. I read the minutes of the committees and see what they debated at their meetings."Martin Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04148241391183658112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-44258508061746841232009-04-17T21:51:00.000+01:002009-04-17T21:51:00.000+01:00Similar comment from one of the bloggers covering ...Similar comment from one of the bloggers covering G20 - journos came in, took what they were fed, wrote it up and filed. <br /><br />No interest in investigating, probing, analysing or even discussing the stuff.<br /><br />Also noted that the photographers all knew exactly where to be when RBS windows were brokenalan phttp://www.broadstuff.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-75641297301680362712009-04-17T20:30:00.000+01:002009-04-17T20:30:00.000+01:00"might illicit interesting answers"
el..."might illicit interesting answers" <br /><br />elicit, surely.<br /><br />Yes, i have got a copy of "Eats, Shoots & Leaves"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-49780905997831270752009-04-17T18:24:00.000+01:002009-04-17T18:24:00.000+01:00I'm waiting for somebody to go to prison for this....I'm waiting for somebody to go to prison for this. Bribing journalists with stories (even busy ones) is a criminal offence under the prevention of corruption acts 1889-1916. Why is nobody naming names? The real culprit here is the government and the £1 billion "PR" budget that creates these pre-packaged stories.Scary Biscuitshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03039289019338752778noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-18933910761451884022009-04-17T17:53:00.000+01:002009-04-17T17:53:00.000+01:00You are absolutely right - it is very easy to get ...You are absolutely right - it is very easy to get sucked into the 'inner circle', a kind of "I know things you don't, yah boo sucks', which I suspect has happened to many MSM reporters. Then they get afraid that if they do reveal uncomfortable or repellent truths, they will be cold-shouldered or exiled from the club.<br /><br />Look at how quiet they all kept about Charles Kennedy's drink problem, because he was popular with the public and wasn't an evil, nasty Tory.<br /><br />Finally, isn't it easier to sit back and pontificate (think Toynbee and White and M Riddell and Robinson), than do the kind of digging that you and Guido do, and which is, after all, only doing for the Right what Michael Crick does for the Left?romannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-67699710142047518182009-04-17T17:41:00.000+01:002009-04-17T17:41:00.000+01:00This is exactly why i read you and Guido et all. Y...This is exactly why i read you and Guido et all. You are not the MSM - without wanting to sound too trite you are the real voice of the people because you are a real person. Keep it up mate!Dannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-24317218265090780812009-04-17T17:25:00.000+01:002009-04-17T17:25:00.000+01:00On radio Scotland today, discussing Guido's op...On radio Scotland today, discussing Guido's opinions of the lobby a woman defended them on the grounds that if it wasn't for the lobby the media wouldn't have any stories. I sent in this email which was read out. Despite an embarrassed giggle nobody felt able to dispute it.<br /><br />"The line that if it wasn't for lobby stories planted by politicians the BBC News would have nothing to say is clearly wrong. There are many important stories that don't get covered .. If the media weren't being spoonfed by politicians, quangos & fakecharities they would just have to work for a living."neil craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09157898238945726349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-10255920347745607002009-04-17T17:14:00.000+01:002009-04-17T17:14:00.000+01:00Are you suggesting (shock, horror) that research c...Are you suggesting (shock, horror) that research coupled with analysis plus a little more research from different sources enables you to put a story together? It came as a surprise to a newspaper editor? LOL. What does he think the CIA, NSA, MI5, MI6 and GCHQ do all day?<br /><br />Many of these papers repeat and regurgitate. not many inves=tigate. Very few analyse.Dr Evilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00176521760477086914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-13752184161320801192009-04-17T17:00:00.001+01:002009-04-17T17:00:00.001+01:00It is more than just the lobby. I have been runni...It is more than just the lobby. I have been running a complaint with the BBC the nub of which is that the editorial side simply did not bother to do routine checking or asking questions. I was given some egregious garbage about how much time it would take and how complex it all was, and so very difficult to ask questions. My point is that if an non-techie OAP with a cheap computer can find out either what is needed or where to find it in five minutes, then what are all those geezers doing at the BBC? The answer is just using the press releases and the marketing brochures.Demetriushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17198549581667363991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-85772773278876995392009-04-17T17:00:00.000+01:002009-04-17T17:00:00.000+01:00It ain't just the lobby. Departmental specialists ...It ain't just the lobby. Departmental specialists are similarly compromised because they rely on official machines to feed them with great masses of pre-digested stories. For example, a certain crime and security editor, with a number of alarmist books to his name, is the preferred channel for any old bollocks the Met wants printed on the terrorist threat.<br /><br />In fact a very high proportion of all serious news is now whatever "the government has announced" today. It is not fawning and anodyne like the press in dictatotships, but its getting on for as dominated by official content.Guy Hnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-13129277338352023682009-04-17T16:44:00.000+01:002009-04-17T16:44:00.000+01:00>>Press complicity<<
Isn't it tim...>>Press complicity<<<br /><br />Isn't it time that journalists got together and simply refused to report this sort of comment without attribution ?<br /><br />http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6108896.ece<br /> '...<B>Whitehall sources</B> unleashed an extraordinary salvo at Christopher Galley, the civil servant who leaked to Mr Green but was also freed from the threat of criminal prosecution. One labelled him a “complete loser”. Claiming that he had used a term from Star Trek as a computer log-in, an insider said: “That says it all, doesn’t it. The guy was a laughing stock.”...'Nigelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18171835878570773595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-73878166157988913452009-04-17T16:08:00.000+01:002009-04-17T16:08:00.000+01:00Dizzy, you say you were 'doing some real work' but...Dizzy, you say you were 'doing some real work' but I wonder if what you and the likes of Guido) are doing is more a bit of investigative journalism, an apparently alien concept to a good number of hacks who are nowadays just happy to be spoon-fed 'stories'.<br /><br />For some of you higher-profile guys the term blogger is almost redundant: the blog is merely the vehicle.talwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06217305295002230599noreply@blogger.com