Say what?
They've left the story up?
Yep, with an apology at the start of it ...
And so the whole sorry tale unfolds in much the same way ...
Until the reader comes to this ...
Say what?
So for all we know, the whole thing's a pile of nonsense, because the details can't be independently verified and nobody can confirm that the matter occurred as described?
And yet it's still up, and in substance reading much the same ...
You know, here's what happened to Jayson Blair. He resigned ...
Here's what happened to Stephen Glass. He got the boot and they made a bad movie about him, and the pond suffered through it.
There are plenty more examples - just follow the links in those wiki yarns - describing events, stories and journalists found out and moved on by organisations that vaguely remembered what is loosely described as a journalistic code of ethics ...
You can read the MEAA's code in pdf here. The first few provide enough rich comedy and irony ...
1. Report and interpret honestly, striving for accuracy, fairness and disclosure of all essential facts. Do not suppress relevant available facts, or give distorting emphasis. Do your utmost to give a fair opportunity for reply.
2. Do not place unnecessary emphasis on personal characteristics, including race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation, family relationships, religious belief, or physical or intellectual disability.
3. Aim to attribute information to its source. Where a source seeks anonymity, do not agree without first considering the source’s motives and any alternative attributable source. Where confidences are accepted, respect them in all circumstances.
4. Do not allow personal interest, or any belief, commitment, payment, gift or benefit, to undermine your accuracy, fairness or independence.
And so on. In the pond's time, they were taken seriously. In the age of Fairfax and the Murdoch gang, they're not taken at all ...
And then comes this, in the original "corrected" column, still blaming the police, and still trailing the Skaf gang, because nudge nudge, we all know what that means ...
And to rub salt into the wound, this tweeting ...
An apology that isn't an apology ...
If he'd had the slightest sense of honour and decency, he would have resigned.
If his editors or his newspaper had had the slightest sense of honour and decency, he would have been sacked.
That neither has happened this day says all that needs to be known about the decline of Fairfax into click-baiting, trolling oblivion ...
Fairfax knew years ago they were getting their shoes muddied by keeping Sheehan on. They only reap what they have sowed. The only thing they can now do is sack him. But that won't happen.
ReplyDeleteOf course the original, albeit edited, had to remain so as to show Sheehan's deep understanding and concern about the plight of women and sexual assault.
ReplyDeleteYou shouldn't let those casual references to the Muslim gang rapes and the Cronulla riots distract you from this core message!
Sure, these references give the clear implication that because some Muslim men are rapists they all must be and because the police did nothing about it, patriotic Aussies had to riot in Cronulla.
Indeed, the Cronulla rioters were obviously diehard feminists. How did we miss that?
Anyway the point is, in this day and age, you can't be a bona fide right-wing loon without opportunistically attaching yourself to fashionable left-wing causes from time to time in order to further your hysterical prejudices.
The click-bait coin is simply the token remuneration from a grateful nation.
"Jenna Price @JennaPrice 9h9 hours ago Sydney, New South Wales
ReplyDeleteThe @smh is so sorry it forgot to name the reporter. Let us help. #Sheehan "
Yes! Within the SMH Sheehan is untouchable.
Now, now, DP, I guess you've seen that clip of Turnbull weeping for his gig with Stan Grant. Please refrain from cynicism ... and allow me. Was he trying to top Sheehan's apology, or distract from Pell?
ReplyDeleteMay I suggest a third possibility - that he was trying to deflect attention from his own pathetic performance as Prime Minister?
ReplyDelete"Okay, I know I've done stuff-all of substance in areas like indigenous affairs... but look, I can shed REAL TEARS... and I don't even have to eat an onion first!"