Citizen Media

My good friend Milkenko Williams recently attended a colloquium at Manchester University (as an observer, I believe) and has written a number of blogs on the position of the citizens media in the scheme of things. The fact that all have the ability, through mobile phones, Twitter and so on to send news around the world raises certain questions. 

I do not wish to add too much to what he says and would strongly suggest you start at the beginning – the first of the series is titled, “Citizen Media: very academic thoughts mediated by a very non-academic” – and work your way through what he has to say. 

It is of special interest to me because I wear two hats being both a hack (some might be kind and describe me as a journalist but one who has always worked freelance and has never drawn a salary) and a political blogger. I try very hard when wearing my hack hat to avoid allowing my opinions to creep into what I am reporting and try just as hard when blogging to base my opinions on the facts as I understand them. Whether I succeed or not is for others to judge. Clearly most who contribute to Citizen Media tend not to feel those constraints. Anyway, enough from me – go and read what Mil says on this subject it is well worth the effort. Here is the link to the first of the series.

 

 

 

So-and-so “will say”

There is an article in The Times-on-line today which starts as follows:-

“Disposing of the public holdings in Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds should be a priority for the Government, the International Monetary Fund will say tomorrow.” 

No doubt most people would wish to concentrate on the economics of the IMF’s supposed statement or even think about the politics (which I suspect are of greater importance to the IMF and certainly to George Osborne) but that is not what I want to do. 

I am sick and tired of reading things which include the words “will say”. 

Why can’t we just wait and be told what was actually said? How many times do politicians and others in the public eye find themselves boxed in by the need to fulfil a prophecy in some paper or other media report which includes those two little words “will say”? 

Apart from anything else, how does the media know what Mr X or Ms Y “will say”? Either they have been stupid enough to issue a statement before the speech (in which case they deserve whatever fate may throw at them between making their intentions known and the announcement itself) or the details have been leaked either with or without authority. 

In either case it clearly demonstrates that those in positions of power are driven more by the media than is healthy. They should stop – now.