But rather than perform any actual research into the number of pro- and anti-council stories in our leading local paper over the past five weeks, I'm awarding them 100 penalty points for their complicity in spreading uncorroborated muck over the fertile plains of Blogland recently. Plus I don't like the way the cheap new paper they're using wrinkles up like a cross-Channel swimmer's scrotum ten minutes after you've left the newsagents.
See - Responsible Blogging at its finest
7 comments:
Welcome back. Sorry, both Roger Gale and Anne Wickedcomb doing the right thing this week. Can't be nice when in opposition. As for the papers, well I don't have to read them now you're back on.
I wrote a letter to the Gazette over the way they handled the 'Blog Wars' story but it never saw the light of day.
I think they were being more subtle by directing attention this week to Thanetstrife!
Would someone tell me WHAT the problem with the Blog Wars story was, I'd be interested to know. You all sit here moaning away but I have yet to see any argument that makes sense.
Thom
Thom - I can only speak as an award-winning journalist, but I think the main gripe is that you took a single source story and printed it without checking any of the facts. Something like that anyway.
An award-winning journalist might, for example, have pressed the source for specific details, rather than allowing all anonymous Thanet blogs to be poisoned with sweeping accusations. Such a journalist might have asked the source for proof of the defamation claims being made. You know, a photocopy of a court order or the name of a lawyer or something. And finally somebody with, say, a Pullitzer might have contacted some of the anonymous blogs to see if they had received any communication from the other party's lawyers or their ISPs, whether they would like to comment, that sort of thing.
Just minor grumbles like that.
Well first off, you're all anonymous in the most part. I used bits of blogs to show what they were saying and I am well aware that there have been no defamatory statements that I have seen. I don't think I made any sweeping statements that all Thanet blogs were being defamatory. Secondly, Google don't comment on this sort of thing meaning I couldn't get a comment. Thirdly, I wrote that story in about an hour and couldn't wait for responses. If there's such a big feeling about it why don't you all send in some letters or emails?
I know several people who sent in letters and emails. Your editor never let them see the light of day. Presumably she didn't show them to you either.
But I take your point about it being a rush job, such is the nature of local journalism. Let's just put it all behind us, eh?
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