Friday 9 December 2016

Bugger 'facts'.



I like journalism to be factual and informative. Not much to ask.

Lady Magnon was given the above newspaper on boarding her return flight from London recently, and before using it as fire-lighting material I had a quick look at the several days old financial pages. I was really quite stunned to see how much inaccurate reporting it contained. I had not previously heard of Victoria Ibitoye, but I suggest she might like to continue Day 2 at whatever Journalism School she attended.

As most already know, George Osborne was not educated at Eton, nor is The Bullingdon Club anything to do with Eton. Osborne attended St Paul's, and the Bullingdon is an Oxford University club.

If Ms Ibitoye's first two paragraphs are anything to go by, I wouldn't bother reading anything by her again. If you know little of a subject it's probably best not to write about it; or maybe just check on Google first.

What do editors do these days; especially Daily Mail editors? Twiddle thumbs I suppose!




35 comments:

  1. Seems to be a very typical example of modern reporting. More make believe than fact, either because they're too lazy to get it right or because it makes better headlines.

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    1. It doesn't feel right having to ask yourself how much of what you read really is true!

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  2. Seems very mixed up maybe she means Cameron. Nobody checks facts any more. To quick to publish.

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    1. Cameron might well have known Bridgeman at school, but there's still the Bullingdon question. Shouldn't the editor read through EVERYTHING before being published?

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  3. Firelighters or wrapping up the fish and chips - best place for most modern journalism !

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  4. As a D T reader online and paying for it, they have recently introduced Premium which is a bolt on for getting supposedly 'in depth' reading. The Obits were all on it and a few other pages that caught my eye but I will not pay extra and get one story a week. In fact I'm considering dropping the whole lot as your piece shows what a bunch of reporters as opposed to journalists they often are.

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    1. We used to subscribe to The Times online, but thought better of it.

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  5. They might spend some time lobbying for the forfeiture of the Southern Rail franchise. That would be useful.

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    1. Not sure about 'forfeiture'; more like lynching of its directors!

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  6. According to this report, Ms Ibitoye learned her trade on the "Mail’s renowned training course" which speaks volumes. But the sub-editor should be shot.

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    1. Right.... almost work experience gal. That figures; but even more proof that she should have been 'watched'.

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  7. I abhor today's journalists for their poor standards. There is no longer a newspaper that is worthy of being read or can be trust in portraying truth. In fact most are only good enough to be used in the cats litter tray.

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    1. It's sad to say, but you're absolutely right.

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    2. I've just recommended The BBC World Service to Wenda (below); I hope you're not including them!

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    3. Sadly I distrust the whole of the BBC along with all newspapers. Even the FT which I used to swear by.

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    4. In my SE days that's where ALL our information came from. No real time web info, no sophisticated trading programmes, just the FT, pen, paper, and telephones.

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    5. The FT is still THE paper for all the financial news. I also used to buy it for comment on world affairs. It is now so politically biased I have stopped reading it altogether.

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    6. My father took the FT all his life. Other than financial info, new issue forms, etc, I remember it being very good for theatre reviews.

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  8. What angers me is I read and believe. It's not that I'm stupid,but that I don't know enough background on the story,to separate fact from fiction. I live in small city Canada,and getting international coverage is a head and miss.I rely on 'some' of blogs to give me the facts.

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    1. Wenda, we're all in the same boat. You really have to filter through all the miss-information these days. You could try the BBC World Service on radio; they are renowned for careful coverage.

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    2. In the US, it is PBS. That channel also shows the BBC news.

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  9. Truth has taken a break these days and may not be seen for decades to come - if ever. There is more money and power in lies.

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    1. In the case I illustrate above, there was absolutely no reason to make such mistakes. Nothing to gain, no money to make; just poor journalism.

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  10. I am so sceptical nowadays that I don't believe anything anymore .... let's get back to food and drink .... you can't go wrong or get upset with that !!!! XXXX

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    1. I shouldn't let such things get to me. You're right, food doesn't argue.

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  11. It just goes to prove what I have always thought about the Daily Mail.

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    1. The DM is an adult-ish version of The Dandy.

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  12. Last evening I returned from a short visit to the UK. I enjoyed three different versions of mince pies, and the opportunity to not see much news of the President Elect.
    I thought the Paul Nash exhibit was quite well done. The Revolution show at the V&A reminded me of many old times...some made me smile, some almost made me cry in public.
    It was grand to revisit some favorite old haunts, see old friends, and discover new areas of interest.
    Now back home, I have to return to Santa's workshop in order to get back on gift completion schedule.
    It's also fun to have a quick catch up on blogland. I did post some pictures on Instagram while I was away.

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    1. You make no comment about the Mince Pies; I do hope they didn't disappoint! I didn't know you were visiting London. It wasn't too long ago that Brits would go to NY for pre-Christmas shopping trips, now with the £ so low I expect the trend has reversed.

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  13. There is little doubt that journalistic standards have deteriorated. The problem is that the base from which they have descended was so low.

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    1. I haven't actually bought a newspaper for decades. I do look at an online paper simply to check newsworthy 'headlines'. The rest I ignore.

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  14. Geez, even I know that the Bullingdon is an Oxford club. With online papers, it's best not to look too far down in the article. The typos and grammar errors are almost more depressing than the news. They could do with couple of retirees with a high school education to copy edit. Anyone who finished school before 1970 would do.

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  15. Not an excuse, just an explanation: journalists today are often hired 'jack of all trades' and are getting not much money - they thus throw together their meagre knowledge in a short time.
    It starts at school: in Germany it is considered much more important to be able to "discuss" than having 'elitist' knowledge.
    Of course there are some really good journalists, but less and less.

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