By: Stephen Abbott

Stephen Abbott — Mon, 17 May 2010 21:51:44 +0000

Hi all,
I think the wrong UStream video is embedded at the top of this post. It seems to be the video of Dana Popa rather than the Orwell Prize night video.
Cheers
Steve

By: Philipa

Philipa — Thu, 13 May 2010 13:21:49 +0000

I read that Neil “Gaiman ended his journalism career in 1987 because British newspapers can “make up anything they want and publish it as fact” “. There seems to be more comment in newspapers nowadays than responsible and researched reporting. Hitchens is guilty of this and being a columnist is no excuse for groundless or poorly researched prejudice. The internet has allowed spurious truths to be challenged, which is good. It’s also allowed the veneer of respectability to be pricked by the real experience of citizen journalism. Notably by Guido. And that’s great.
But as a friend said recently “it’s rotten when people make snide digs at others and get cheered on by a bunch of cowardly sidekicks, but most of us went through this in school about the same time we broke out in acne, and got over it by the time we were drinking and/or driving. Why does this adolescent behaviour pattern emerge so often in blogland? Is it something about the medium that brings out the school bully in people who are forced to act as adults in their offline lives?”
Matthew Parris said today that he’d spent the last 20 years in the business of sneering at people. I think it’s time the ‘citizen journalists’ asked themselves if we are setting a better example or are wannabes subscribing to the worst behaviour the professionals display but can rise above when they choose?
Amelia Gentleman reports on important things in society. There is so much to say, so much to bring attention to. We should say it rather than play point-scoring.

Comments on: What would Orwell say? How the web is championing top quality journalism

By: Stephen Abbott

By: Philipa