Journalists “not frightened little rabbits”, claims journalist

January 27, 2009

Yesterday saw the launch of The News, a site that will deliver breaking global news in a bid to challenge the dominance of the national and international press by taking them on at their own game – without the print and distribution overheads.

The News is the brainchild of Mike Magee, described in a press release as a “veteran online journalist”. Quite how one can be a ‘veteran’ in the online world is somewhat mystifying, but Magee’s site will have its news hub in India, where editorial operations will be headed by Subhash Rai.  He joined Magee after successfully starting and then running AOL’s Indian news portal. Rai’s team will include full-time staff and freelancers from around the world.

Magee’s CV includes the launch of The Register (www.theregister.co.uk), then the INQUIRER (www.theinquirer.net), which he sold to VNU Business Publications two years ago. In March last year, Magee oversaw the launch of the IT Examiner in Bangalore (www.itexaminer.com).

Magee said: “At a time when multinational and national newspaper groups are cutting staff, closing offices and facing the overhead of print production, distribution costs and declining readership, we feel we’ve a good chance of taking on the giants by concentrating on sound journalism and challenging the state of journalism now.”

Warming to his theme, he added that “Journalists these days are frightened little rabbits told to print or pixellate press releases and taught not to challenge power and vested interests. We will prove that journalism is not dead and that readers want strong journalism and not wishy-washy pap dictated to them by multiple vested interests.”

 

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Supreme Court on Twitter

February 6, 2012

Something remarkable happened today. Yes, the Supreme Court launched its Twitter feed. It even has a Twitter policy, one of caveats, disclaimers and little by way of illumination but regardless: who would have thought that the successor body to the House of Lords would stoop to engage with the world of tweets, hashtags and retweets?

We look forward to the day when court business will be conducted via Twitter. Meantime, check out this link for an excellent blog on the Supreme Court.

Not so right said Fred

February 2, 2012
fred hat

So Farewell, then, Sir Fred Goodwin.

Now you are just Fred.

Not Right Said Fred, but plain Fred.

The Forfeiture Committee did for you.

No one had heard of it before,

But Dave said it had to act, and it did.

Trouble is that no one knows what to think.

Is it ‘Alas, poor Fred‘,

Or ‘Hurray! Sir Fred is dead!’?

We don’t know.

Do you?

By A. Mob, aged 1,378 and a half.

London Goes AWOL

January 31, 2012
CNN

STOP PRESS:

Fed up with being stuck on the Thames in south-east England, London yesterday decided to move. In a dramatic gesture which augurs ill for the Olympics, the city upped sticks and relocated to East Anglia.

Lawyers were not consulted about the move, and the city’s precise motivation remains unclear. However, financiers fear that London’s decision is a sign that it wishes to downsize. Moreover, a source from London said: “We no longer want to be Britain’s seat of power. If the Scots can deregulate, why can’t we? East Anglia is a nice place where nothing happens. It’s time for a quiet life. Please respect our right to privacy.”

Elsewhere, Birmingham did not do anything, but Manchester was seen to be packing its bags. “There’s an opportunity for us,” said Manchester. “We can become London.”

East Anglia said: “We don’t mind. It’ll be refreshing to be associated with something other than fens and flatness.”

A cartologist at CNN, which broke the extraordinary news, was later fired.