Tuesday 17 May 2011

How the Fulham Chronicle works


Have a look at this article from Adam Courtney of the Chronicle. Where on earth could he be quoting from when he talks about the comments so many of you made about the shooting on Lakeside Road? But does he acknowledge his source? No, of course not. I would have thought over an issue like this, even from someone like Adam Courtney, we might have expected a bit more of a grown-up approach. Adam has had to apologise for lifting content from here and publishing it in the Chronicle before, and this time at least four paragraphs of his article are from here. 

Perhaps since he obviously reads this blog to get his material he might like to respond to the concerns that have been expressed by the Metropolitan Police and women's groups about his own newspapers support of local prostitution by taking advertising money from local pimps and brothel owners which even the Council regards as "highly distasteful". Quite a contribution to the local community. 

12 comments:

  1. The Evening Standard are at it too:

    http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23950757-schoolboy-stabbed-eight-times-in-iphone-robbery-at-bus-station.do

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  2. Thanks. It seems they are - and they also fail to acknowledge LBC's radio interview which they kindly made available to the community through the blog.

    This sort of petty small minded "journalism" that seems to care more about themselves than the community is really beneath contempt.

    And they wonder why more and more people get their news from local sources like this rather than the "traditional" media.

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  3. Ah, a paper with some decency:
    http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/9032080.Richmond_Park_Academy_pupil_stabbed_at_bus_stop/

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  4. have you noticed that its impossible to register on the fulhamchronicle.co.uk site to add a comment. And for that reason it has no comments. That is why you Chris are the locals prefered platform for discussion. My advice is to make hay whilst their site remains a one way communications platform.

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  5. Whatever Adam's alleged flaws as a journalist are, suggesting he should answer for what is unquestionably a commercial decision to accept adverts from prostitutes is grossly unfair. Local journalists, usually overworked and underpaid, receive little thanks for their labour, but God forbid they offend anyone or slip up and they are crucified for it and held up to ridiculous standards.

    I think you do an excellent job Chris and I enjoy the blog and respect the contribution you make to covering events in the local area, but your attitude towards local press is unfair. I would also question why you are so aggrieved Adam did not namecheck your website when he was referencing user generated content not your reporting.
    - A jaded journalist

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  6. ..because I think cut 'n paste journalism, of which Adam has a track record, is just very poor. Simple, really.

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  7. From the links above, I think Adam's crime was not referencing your blog as the source of a story. You have accused him of cut n paste journalism - or plagirism - which is untrue.

    I do not know if you have worked as a professional journalist, Chris. If you have then you will know it is a demanding and stressful job, and one most journalists do because they are genuinely passionate about the profession. A lot of people work jobs where they are undervalued and overworked, the difference is they do not get lambasted for being 'very poor' when they slip up. Most people would rightly think it unfair and unkind if they were.

    Even journalists have feelings, you know.

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  8. nope - read this

    http://shepherds-bush.blogspot.com/2010/11/fulham-chronicle-how-media-works.html

    I have huge respect for journalists - in my day job I work with journalists in parts of the world where they are routinely killed and threatened with violence when they write things that their governments or the local militias don't like. I spent a large part of last year in the Southern Philippines doing that which according to the International Federation of Journalists is the most dangerous place on Earth to be a journalist. And that in itself is a dangerous occupation. So I don't think my commitment to that should be in question. But I don't think it's too much to ask for local journalists to meet the most basic standards of their profession. Sorry if we disagree on that, but thats my view.

    Thanks for your other kind comments though, much obliged.

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  9. http://shepherds-bush.blogspot.com/2010/11/remember-maguindanao.html

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  10. Not to mention the fact that The Chronicle itself is exceptionally hypocritical... They ran a MASSIVE campaign to shut down the "one-sided" H&F News ran by the council, only to take lots of money to carry the council's material themselves when the government closed H&F News down.

    Not to mention a certain journalist's attitudes towards readers and other commentators...

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  11. Thanks for the links, Chris. I'd sooner question the Chronicle's commitment to local journalism than Adam's (presumably the reason no one from the paper attended the market meeting was because they are too tight or too stretched to send anyone) but his failure to then cite your blog leaves him clearly in the wrong.

    I'll say no more though as I'm not familiar with Adam's other work, other than to note it is a shame elements of mainstream media, especially the lumbering old press, sometimes evidence a certain snobbery towards new media and is reciprocally viewed with no small degree of suspicion. Any and all contribution to the accurate reporting of local issues should be celebrated, for we'd all be the poorer without it. Sorry to interrupt usual services.

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  12. you haven't - it's good to debate!

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