I rarely commend articles to you dear reader.
However, today is different.
If you have any interest in the information you consume via the MSM then you should consider this piece by Professor Roy Greenslade.
When Downfall was published in 2012 veteran Scottish journalist Kevin McKenna wrote the following kind words in the only mainstream review of the book:
“If Mac Giolla Bhain had been employed as a staffer on any of Scotland’s dozen or so national newspaper titles he would be a certainty to be crowned sportswriter of the year, news reporter of the year and journalist of the year for his work on the Rangers story.”
When I spoke with Kevin after this review I pointed out the basic truth that the amount of time I had spent on the Ibrox story from 2009 until the publication of Downfall would not have been tolerated by any newspaper editor.
Quite simply, the days when a staff journalist would be allowed many months to research a story are a largely a thing of the past.
The Guardian and its sister paper the Observer are laudable exceptions.
Carole Cadwalladr, Nick Davies, and Amelia Gentleman have all produced quality journalism in the pages of those titles.
Their work has been of huge of huge public interest and has re-framed the narrative on important issues.
This is exceptionally atypical within the newspaper sector.
Sadly, the norm now is collated user-generated content, listicles and other assorted click bait.
Large media corporations now bring in “editors” who are actually downsizing experts.
The race to the bottom in terms of staffing and quality continues while their titles circle the circulation drain.
As Professor Greenslade points out in his piece today the numbers of staff journalists employed at newspapers is falling rapidly:
“Over those 10 years, the number of journalists employed by publishers of news brands has fallen by 26%, down from 23,000 to 17,000.”
This means that there simply joust is not the staff to allow a reporter to “go digging” on a story
Sadly, in Fair Caledonia, the Fitba Fourth Estate doesn’t do that journalism thing.
Then again, if you a regular reader here you already know that.
A decade ago I stumbled into the blogging world.
This site was originally intended to showcase what I had produced as a print freelancer for numerous publications.
I had no idea of the journey ahead.
A few years ago I chaired a seminar at the NUJ’s Irish conference.
Professor Greenslade was the main speaker.
I recall him stating that what we were living through was a revolution.
He pointed out to the audience, who were mainly journalism students, that revolutions were unruly.
Moreover, that those tumultuous periods in history were always chaotic and had no respect for previous conventions or established position.
In the pre-digital age, it might have been possible to professionally recover from the following piece of staunch churnalism.
However, we know the truth and the chap in question is regularly reminded of his shameful stenography.
The thing is there is now an alternative to the Daily Radar and their ilk.
Moreover, until major media organisations start to invest in quality journalism then the decline will inexorably continue.
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I have a question phil.
Remember reading the record article on Whyte at the time but not of course the exact wording.
Noticed following the link that the article states it was updated on the 1st July 2012.
Don’t suppose you have a copy of the article from when it was first published? Be interesting to know what if anything in the content was changed?
You can actually categorise the actions of messers Jackson,Jack,Traynor etc when it comes to their sterling efforts in reporting the “facts” from within Ibrox:
Ibroxymoronic
Charger – I challenge you to google “youtube 100% believe pizzagate after watching this pedogate update video” or google “pizzagate pedogate the unanswered questions documentary” Watch with a heavy heart. You will see all the proof you need to know about Hillary Clinton and the people she associates with.
Something not quite right about the timing of the World Cup and CL and Europa Cup qualifiers.
Celtic will have Lustig and Boyata missing for possibly both the first qualifying round games.
That’s just plain wrong.
England look to have a clear run to the final with the 4 best remaining teams all in the other half of the draw.
But honestly Colombia were abysmal for 90 minutes yet their goalie didn’t have a save to make from open play.
Come on Sweden, send them home please.
Why is the “High Street” disappearing at an alarming rate…and why are newspapers going the same way. ?
It’s no big mystery…
The Internet…that’s why.
Now I have to agree that the “quality” of journalists has eroded…but more than ever they have been reduced to copy and paste merchants…and are toeing the party line.
I grew up on a diet of big Malky Munro…wee Bobby Maitland…even weeer Jimmy Sanderson…and normal sized John McKenzie…the Voice of Football.
Now none of these guys would have won the Pulitzer Prize…but they were the best football writers of their day.
I read the trash that’s now put forward ,however, and its plain to see that…
The end is nigh for these people.
You forgot John Fairgrieve. My favourite quote from a really eloquent writer. “The praise constantly heaped upon Graeme Souness by the English press, makes him, to my mind, the most overrated midfield player in Europe.” Souness was with Sampdoria at the time.
I thought I did well remembering that 4…..:0)
I remember your man as well…he wiz guid.
HH
Talking of real journalism, I’m completely baffled by this KT business.
James Forest is adamant that the story is b******s and that Kieran is going nowhere. VC are pretty sure that he’s not going to Everton but will be going somewhere as the money is too good for Celtic to turn down. Why?
He’s young. He’s incredibly talented and is working with a manager who will undoubtedly improve him. He has champions league qualifiers to look forward to with a club he loves. He is an undoubted asset to the club. A club that has the prospect of picking up almost £40 mil from CL qualification. He has a long contract
and is among the top earners. The club is cash rich. So, if he is heading out the door, what’s the big rush? Will he suddenly be woth buttons next seasosn.
I don’t get it.
Main stream media like the daily R can put whatever spin they like on Stevie G and the newco. All I’m saying is that the newco can dream all that they want but they will not be stopping 8 in a row. Celtic are simply too far ahead of them right now for that to happen. Hail Hail
Hilarious post on a Newco blog as one of their fans complains about the number of rounds that have to be negotiated before they reach the promised land of Europa Cup Group Stage.
Blames the crap performances of other Scottish teams in Europe and the impact on the co-efficient.
Oh dear, Progres anyone?
The Champions had a big launch weeks ago of the kit for the new season and sales have gone well.
As far as I’m aware the new season Newco kit is still under wraps and is not available in any retail outlets.
Another victory for King over Ashley no doubt, well that’s bound to be the media’s take on it.
What’s happening Dave, what’s happening?
Funny how Paul Murray and the other guy who resigned from the board have never been asked as to why they chose to resign on the eve of Stevie G’s appointment.
Ditto the immediate share offer King promised a couple of months ago. Whats happening Dave?
Now there’s a couple of stories that you would think are worthy of some print space, but apparently not.
The Daily Radar is quoting a ‘consultant’ and a Newco blogger with inside knowledge of KT’s move to Everton, including his wage packet.
With a CL qualifier next week I would be amazed if Keiran wasn’t in his usual position.
With Lustig and Boyata still on World Cup duty both are unlikely to figure next week which makes the ‘done’ deal seem even more ridiculous.
Has anyone at the Daily Radar asked Keiran for his thoughts or is this just more pish, quoting unnamed sources at the club or unnamed sources close to the player?
When KT eventually goes I doubt if it will be to be a mid ranking EPL club, struggling to get Europa Cup qualification.
James Forrest in his article today is adamant that the Daily Radar article is full of lies and half truths at best and is more wishful thinking than fact.
No doubt Dembele will be next to be on his way out the door.
It’s pretty obvious that the media are looking at the difference in class and ability between the Celtic squad and their favourite team and realise that Hodson, Halliday, Jack, Dorrans, Murphy, and the rest won’t be lowering Celtic’s colours this season, or anytime soon.
We know too well that there are journos at the Daily Radar who routinely publish articles that have no basis in fact, hence the ‘consultant’ and Newco blogger are credited as the source.
With daily sales plummeting it shouldn’t be long to the demise of this rag.
It can’t come soon enough.
Hhhhmmmmmm.
Call me sceptical if you like but a few new regular agitators on this blog after a recent Phil inspired meltdown on another blog …. for my full theory pass all your bank details on to me and I might give you a password ???
Lies, timmy. King and Gerrard will bring title 55 to Ibrox, while Bomber Brown rides down Edminston Drive on a white charger, deeds in hand, proclaiming the Banter Years over for the world’s most successful club/company.
Football’s. Coming. Home.
A skill the best journalists have is the ability to tell important stories in a way that allows the reader to form an opinion or take a moral standpoint of his or her own. Sadly, your hatred of Rangers oozes from every word to such an extent that I lose trust that I’m being told the truth. I would prefer that you refrained from dehumanising the entire Rangers support using deeply offensive terms such as Klan, avoided some of the childish nicknames you have for people and stuck to the facts. Or perhaps you have little interest in being respected beyond the narrow band of people you obviously aim your articles towards. True success is equal respect from both sides of a debate.
No debate.
Rangers died in 2012.
No one forces you to read this site.
Aye Jim very good. Keep getting your info from the Daily Radar as you can rest assured that Jackson and his ilk would never lie to their readers.
Did you read Jackson’s article introducing Craig Whyte to the Oldco fans?
Google the article, it’s a classic made up story planted by a PR agency with no basis in fact.
Like SDM, I recall Jackson claiming that he was duped which is as believable as his article.
Never seen the word Klan or any other reference to the Rangers support in this piece
The blog is about newspapers. Try reading it instead of just scrolling to the bottom and posting complete nonsense that has nothing to do with the article
Jim Taylor ? You are John James, and I claim my £5 prize.
Whataboutery,and playing the man and not the ball, will get you nowhere.
Oh look an unfortunate typo from Jim Traynor (You have now reached Level 6)
Ironic given the theme of the piece about standards and quality within Journalism.
It’s just keeps writing its own punchlines this debacle does it not?
Jim I feal sorry for you and I will pray for you rangers stole cheated if it was a horse race it would be financial dopeing that caused the demise not let’s forget arrogance and the establishment mentality you can catch a thief harder to catch a liar ie half the establishment is liars .still ok to be up to our knees in feinian blood jim cast your mind back to the celts for change meeting you attended
I don’t know if anybody has seen this “the financial wrecking of Glasgow Rangers f c “ on YouTube ..Jackson at his finest …
Keith Jackson published his now infamous article introducing the Motherwell billionare with wealth off the radar to the Oldco fans.
They lapped up every word.
Now either Jackson knowingly lied to his readers or is so thick that he went ahead and published the article without a shred of evidence to stand up his story.
The fact that he’s still on the payroll tells you everything you need to know about him and his employer.
It actually says MORE about his employer. Can you think of any other business that would allow an employee to embarrass them like that?
People think “Network” was about a guy being “mad as hell” and “not taking it anymore”. It wasn’t. It was about the long, slow, slide from journalism to sensationalism that was already obvious to Paddy Chayefsky even in the Watergate years …
Bash or mention Trump as much as you like Phil.
I was going to write my own opinion of him and I could feel my dander rising in anticipation. I’m on a hot train on a hot day and I need a cold beer not to be thinking of that c. ., individual.
In 1992, Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post, charged American newspapers with neglecting real news in favour of sensationalism and gossip. The article he wrote was titled “The Idiot Culture”. How true and how much worse UK newspapers have become in their reporting of real news in favour of zelebrities and reality shows.
When I clicked the link my immediate reaction was “oh no it’s the Guardian… prepare for more Donald Trump bashing” I read the article and found it semi interesting, most of which I agree with, although I have my own ideas why mainstream media is declining at such a rapid rate and I agree with Phil there is no more old fashioned independent investigative journalism. As I read the article I thought… wow! no mention of Donald Trump bashing… until towards the end Trumps name is mentioned in a condescending way 5 times. Does EVERY article in the Guardian bash Trump? Could this obsession be a little clue as to the real reason so-called independent newspapers are in decline? By that I don’t mean the obsessive Trump bashing, I mean they all have the same agenda, controlled by the same people, brainwashing the same sheep. It makes one wonder… have all the journalists been instructed to bash Trump at every possible opportunity or do all journalists really think Trump is to blame for everything? Can we expect a future article from Phil that doesn’t mention Trump or will it be “after zenith attempts sevco finally defeats Celtic and its all Donald Trumps fault? Please Phil, for the sake of my sanity, leave references to Trump out of your otherwise enjoyable articles!
You clearly have an unhealthy fascination with Trump and anything he TRUMPets from his over sized mouth, which incidentally runs considerably faster than his thought processes. Read the piece again. Phil does not mention Trump anywhere in it.
Charger – guess what… the article Phil recommends we read… guess what… bashes Trump. You clearly have not read my comments properly, I’m not fascinated or obsessed with Trump in any shape or form, indeed I asked Phil stops referring to Trump in so many articles he writes, because I’m sick to death of the cacophony of bleating sheep writers blaming Trump for every problem they can think of. The fascination / obsession with Trump is with Phil and his mainstream media friends, not me!
Like Phil has said, no one is forcing you to read this blog.
John, guess what? I actually read the article myself. Which part of the “Trump bashing” as you refer to it was factually inaccurate. Oh aye, another thing. Your referal to newspaper readers as “sheep” makes you sound like an arrogant, self opinionated, prick. Much like Trump actually!
Charger – you ask me which part of the Trump bashing was factually inaccurate. Taken from the article “the murder of five staff at the Capitol Gazette in Annapolis Maryland, is the fusion of two macabre phenomena in Donald Trump’s America. One, which predates his regime, is regular mass shootings. The other is the Trump-inspired demonisation of the media” So according to the crazy logic of this article, the murders were actually Trumps fault even though the facts reveal the killer had a long standing beef with the newspaper that pre-dated the Trump era by many years. And do you really believe the media is such a wonderful bastion representing truth and justice that has undeservedly been “demonised” by Trump? Don’t you think in reality is it’s actually the other way around, the newspapers are obsessively demonising Trump in EVERY publication they make and nearly every story they write. If you can’t see that then there’s nothing more I can say or do for you to try to get you, and the herd you live in to open your eyes.
Not only that article .. Jackson plagiarized a foreign article and passed it off as his own.
Utterly contemptible when you’re paid for original thoughts and copy. A blogger would be vilified and laughed by their own community.
That was one of ‘his’ best articles as he had no input into it.
Hahaha. True.
Noone is interested in buying the media selling them press releases, political spin or advertisers agendas.
The reader is your paying customer, yet they treated like mugs and deliberately sold them misinformation. There’s plenty of stories they could investigate and run down, they chose not to do so in the interests of larger profit margins and advertiser’s pressure.
Advertisers buy space in your product because of the audience your title reaches. When did the media lose sight of that? Readers provide you that audience.
The reality is they sold out to be puppets selling PR and propaganda, and are now paying the price.
Agreed Dhenbhoy, it’s all fake news based on the media controllers agenda. The Guardian and Observer alongside The Independent are the worst culprits, purveyors of fake news propaganda dressed up as pseudo-intellectual independent thought.
And you can include the beeb,stv,sly sports they are all equally as guilty at spreading tory propaganda and have a real problem stating the truth when it comes to a klub of no culture.
Thanks Phil,truly appreciate your time.
Fake news! Isn’t that a Trumpism? I certainly never once my……many years heard that phrase before he came out with it. In fact it’s right up there with “Alternative facts”.
Actually Charger the term “Fake News” was first used by Hillary Clinton when she was trying to deny the “pizzagate” pedophile sex parties she and her occult mates are involved in, but of course blame Trump, everyone else does! 🙂
Idiot
John, I’m actually replying to your previous response, not the one above. NO, I don’t think that newspapers obsessively demonize Trump. I think the article was actually spot on. Once again you insultingly refer to anyone who disagrees with your opinion as “the herd” and I’ll repeat once again that is the attitude of an arrogant, self opinionated prick incapable of seeing any point of view other than his own. Which of course will always be correct because you are SO MUCH smarter than ANYONE else.
Now, as for your comments above linking Hillary Clinton with paedophile sex parties and the occult. You do realise, that unless you could produce incontrovertible evidence in a court of law, that those comments are libelous. However, I think you’re probably safe enough. There is nothing to be gained by taking to court a complete screwball and giving him the platform he clearly craves to tell us all what we would be thinking if only we had his intellectual prowess.