matgb | Entries tagged with journalism

One suspects C. P. Scott would be annoyed with the sub editor who wrote this headline:

Liberal Democrats to fight next election as totally independent party

What's next from the supposed bastion of liberal journalism? Pope confirms Catholicism? Bear faeces found in woodland? Hazel Blears is short?

Note to journalists: In Australia, the Coalition parties have maintained separate identities and run independently despite governing together for the best part of the last century. In the UK, the last Liberal National / Conservative coalition effectively started in 1931, they agreed an electoral pact in 1947, and the Nationals eventually gave up and formally merged into the Conservatives in 1968. That was 37 years, not 6 months.

So in the incredibly unlikely event that history tries to repeat itself, it'll take 3 decades of perpetual coalition. I don't think that's at all likely myself.

Ye gods, they call themselves a quality newspaper?

Crossposts: http://matgb.livejournal.com/445188.html

BBC NEWS | Politics | MPs get four more days of holiday:

MPs will have an additional four days of holiday in 2008 compared with this year, it has been announced.

Right. Because they're not in Westminster at their offices or putting their bums on the green leather, they're "on holiday"?

( Lies, damn lies, and media misrepresentations ) Last two paragraphs:

Variations in the number of Fridays when the Commons is open for business mean it is likely that MPs will sit for a greater number of days in 2007-8 than in the previous 12-month period.

MPs often respond to criticism of their lengthy spells away from Westminster by saying that they devote much of these periods to constituency work.

So what the story actually says is MPs will be at Wetminster more next year than this, and they say they do work elsewhere but we can't be arsed to actually check this so will write it up as if they're lying.

Is it any wonder people get disillusioned when even the BBC puts up this sort of half-baked sorry excuse for coverage?

Bah, stuff this, I'm off to the pub.

ETA: Nich already covered this and said roughly the same as me. Why do the press tell such lies about MP's salaries and holidays ?