"fake news" - any consequences for shoddy journalism?
Discussion
This is a trivial matter really but I was just interested in what you guys think, and to vent a bit.
Local rag have a facebook page, as most of the do nowadays. Family member is part of the local secondary school management.
Pupil comes in and has breached the uniform policy and refused to change her appearance so is sent home with advice to sort it out and come back the next day.
Parents protest, like they tend to do and then immediately approach the local rag (and since then the Daily effin Mail) and get a story published on the respective publications facebook feed. The article essentially described the situation in such a way as to stir up as much social unrest as possible by both misrepresenting the facts of the matter and using the typical language of the day ie. to generate maximum clicks.
Now, I fully realise that a) arguing with idiots on facebook comments is akin to self flagellation, so I've not gone there and B). This will all blow over in a matter of days, it'd be only useful for eating your fish and chips off, back in the day.
But, because it's (in)directly affected me, it doesn't half piss you off. The article is just inflammatory and causes bad feeling. This is a school that was failing miserably, in a really deprived part of town that has been taken over by a nearby decent school, undergone a total management change, re-brand and is now on the up. There was no mention of any of the multitude of positive things that are happening in the place.
Is there a general assumption that the media can just post up this sensational garbage, without any attempt at actual journalism, and just get away with it. If I were so inclined to put huge resources into mounting a legal battle against these tyrants (I probably won't to be fair) would it make any difference to anything.
It'd be nice if the fekrs would post up an apology or retraction of some sort, but maybe I just need to let it slide.
ps. It also ended up on the facebook page - angry People in local Newspapers - which is worth a follow
Local rag have a facebook page, as most of the do nowadays. Family member is part of the local secondary school management.
Pupil comes in and has breached the uniform policy and refused to change her appearance so is sent home with advice to sort it out and come back the next day.
Parents protest, like they tend to do and then immediately approach the local rag (and since then the Daily effin Mail) and get a story published on the respective publications facebook feed. The article essentially described the situation in such a way as to stir up as much social unrest as possible by both misrepresenting the facts of the matter and using the typical language of the day ie. to generate maximum clicks.
Now, I fully realise that a) arguing with idiots on facebook comments is akin to self flagellation, so I've not gone there and B). This will all blow over in a matter of days, it'd be only useful for eating your fish and chips off, back in the day.
But, because it's (in)directly affected me, it doesn't half piss you off. The article is just inflammatory and causes bad feeling. This is a school that was failing miserably, in a really deprived part of town that has been taken over by a nearby decent school, undergone a total management change, re-brand and is now on the up. There was no mention of any of the multitude of positive things that are happening in the place.
Is there a general assumption that the media can just post up this sensational garbage, without any attempt at actual journalism, and just get away with it. If I were so inclined to put huge resources into mounting a legal battle against these tyrants (I probably won't to be fair) would it make any difference to anything.
It'd be nice if the fekrs would post up an apology or retraction of some sort, but maybe I just need to let it slide.
ps. It also ended up on the facebook page - angry People in local Newspapers - which is worth a follow
Edited by dave_s13 on Friday 14th June 11:40
From what I can tell you would need to launch an expensive legal battle and prove you were right and they were wrong. Although even getting to court is likely very difficult.
Following this you would get 1 sentence hidden in the middle of the paper saying a story they printed re:xxx was incorrect.
Following this you would get 1 sentence hidden in the middle of the paper saying a story they printed re:xxx was incorrect.
A lot of journalists these days never leave their desk, they rely on information online and that sent in from the public. They then sensationalise it, apply their political spin and print it as fact.
It's something I hadn't realised until Katie Hopkins (less said the better) pointed it out recently, I did a bit of research and found actually it's more common than not.
It's something I hadn't realised until Katie Hopkins (less said the better) pointed it out recently, I did a bit of research and found actually it's more common than not.
tinnitusjosh said:
Just to play devil's advocate... Who's to say that the reporting of the incident isn't more accurate than the story you were told? Two sides etc etc.
Also, your language is hardly 'balanced', suggesting the media are trying to whip up social unrest
There's always 3 sides to every story I agree.Also, your language is hardly 'balanced', suggesting the media are trying to whip up social unrest
I make no apologies for being heavily biased in favour of my family members account of the facts Vs the way it was reported however.
The media make money from selling papers or selling advertising from clicks, No stories = no money. Which stories grab peoples attention more than anything these days, relatable gossip. So pick a gossip story involving something a large propotion of the potential readership will relate to, exagerate everything to help it stand out and publish for an easy win. In this case it was relatable to anybody with kids or grandkids in school, and gossip because it is something happening which doesn't concern them but isn't complicated enough a story to ensure people can't make their own opinions on it. Opinions = more readership...
Other story's they do this with include pretty much every subject most of us could relate to: Gaming, Drinking, Dieting, Speeding, fuel prices etc. etc
To be honest, if you even read the papers these days without thinking you need a lesson in critical thinking. Note i called them papers, not newspapers as there is very little factual news printed anywhere on them.
What can be done about them directly, not a lot. Next issue they might just put a tiny appology on page 56 under an ad if you're lucky. Best way of dealing with them is education of those who's opinions you actually care about of the reality of the media and not to share any of their stories at all. Even better to simply ignore their existance.
Other story's they do this with include pretty much every subject most of us could relate to: Gaming, Drinking, Dieting, Speeding, fuel prices etc. etc
To be honest, if you even read the papers these days without thinking you need a lesson in critical thinking. Note i called them papers, not newspapers as there is very little factual news printed anywhere on them.
What can be done about them directly, not a lot. Next issue they might just put a tiny appology on page 56 under an ad if you're lucky. Best way of dealing with them is education of those who's opinions you actually care about of the reality of the media and not to share any of their stories at all. Even better to simply ignore their existance.
tinnitusjosh said:
Just to play devil's advocate... Who's to say that the reporting of the incident isn't more accurate than the story you were told? Two sides etc etc.
Also, your language is hardly 'balanced', suggesting the media are trying to whip up social unrest
I appreciate you are playing devils advocate but he quality of most journalism, especially local, is lower than a worm's willy.Also, your language is hardly 'balanced', suggesting the media are trying to whip up social unrest
There are many reasons for this from under paid and over worked journos (the local press is dying on it's arse) making simple errors as they try to file as much copy as fast as they can to those whose work owes as much credit to their over active imagination and substance abuse as it does reality.
For various reasons I know quite a bit about the reality of lot of local issues. I also know that what goes out in the local rag about these is often more fiction than fact and often extrapolated to fantastical interpretations of the distorted facts at that.
To give an example there is a a very popular, financially viable, and active local trust involved in the arts. They have been given the opportunity to pay off the loan that they took out to buy their building (and which they have been paying off without issue) for a fraction of the outstanding balance if they can raise the funds by a certain date. Despite being told exactly what the situation was and that this was a fantastic opportunity for a 'Good News' story to secure the future of the trust for generations to come, with zero debt, the local gutter snipes turned their copy into a a doom and gloom 'last throw of the dice to save failing trust' piece riddled with total inaccuracies and blatant falsehoods.
They know that there is no real danger in what they do as they toady to those with the means to sue them yet those for whom it would be a diversion of precious resources, even if they had any at all to fight back, they write what they please. This is added to the fact that fighting only brings the inaccurate 'facts' back to the fore and as we all know the front page lie is oft recanted in the 2 paragraph, 4th column of the bottom of page 26 apology 6 months later, and long since after the false story has become public 'fact' and the damage done.
350Z on the Wolds said:
The media make money from selling papers or selling advertising from clicks, No stories = no money. Which stories grab peoples attention more than anything these days, relatable gossip. So pick a gossip story involving something a large propotion of the potential readership will relate to, exagerate everything to help it stand out and publish for an easy win. In this case it was relatable to anybody with kids or grandkids in school, and gossip because it is something happening which doesn't concern them but isn't complicated enough a story to ensure people can't make their own opinions on it. Opinions = more readership...
Other story's they do this with include pretty much every subject most of us could relate to: Gaming, Drinking, Dieting, Speeding, fuel prices etc. etc
To be honest, if you even read the papers these days without thinking you need a lesson in critical thinking. Note i called them papers, not newspapers as there is very little factual news printed anywhere on them.
What can be done about them directly, not a lot. Next issue they might just put a tiny appology on page 56 under an ad if you're lucky. Best way of dealing with them is education of those who's opinions you actually care about of the reality of the media and not to share any of their stories at all. Even better to simply ignore their existance.
Agree, good post.Other story's they do this with include pretty much every subject most of us could relate to: Gaming, Drinking, Dieting, Speeding, fuel prices etc. etc
To be honest, if you even read the papers these days without thinking you need a lesson in critical thinking. Note i called them papers, not newspapers as there is very little factual news printed anywhere on them.
What can be done about them directly, not a lot. Next issue they might just put a tiny appology on page 56 under an ad if you're lucky. Best way of dealing with them is education of those who's opinions you actually care about of the reality of the media and not to share any of their stories at all. Even better to simply ignore their existance.
The key term here is "critical thinking". This is sadly lacking in the vast majority of society I think.
The story this relates to has just escalated by the way. I'm not sure I should really type this but....the father involved has literally, just this moment, chained and glued himself to the school gates. The police are just in the process of removing him. I s
t you not. 350Z on the Wolds said:
To be honest, if you even read the papers these days without thinking you need a lesson in critical thinking. Note i called them papers, not newspapers as there is very little factual news printed anywhere on them.
IMO the days of the news media being reporters of the news are long gone, be it print, TV, Radio or any other media. It is mostly opinion pieces wrapped up in the guise of factual reportage. The press no longer educates, informs and invites the consumers critical consideration to form their own opinion, they just go direct to telling people what to think. This is not new, and is old as the hills but ever since "it was the Sun wot won it" it has been clear for anyone who uses more than a single brain cell when consuming information upon which they wish to build their own opinion..
Thanks for that.
I'm not really supposed to be propogating this but frankly, it hilarious.
This is chap causing the ruckus.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=252061...
Bless him.
I'm not really supposed to be propogating this but frankly, it hilarious.
This is chap causing the ruckus.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=252061...
Bless him.
Forums | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff