Thursday 2 May 2019

Quotes of the Week: Clooney urged to investigate press freedom in UK to young journalists advised to challenge sub editors over bad headlines



Sean O'Neill in The Times [£]: "Amal Clooney, the newly appointed press freedom envoy, is under pressure to examine the case of two journalists from Northern Ireland who were arrested after exposing police collusion in a sectarian mass murder...There have been calls for her to look at the case of Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney, who were arrested in 7am raids on their homes...Amnesty International expressed 'deep concern' over the arrests and has written to Ms Clooney to explain its worries.."

Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the NUJ, told The Times: “If the foreign secretary and his envoy want to offer credible advice and support to protect global media freedom then their remit and terms of reference have to include the UK. It is not tenable to preach to other countries while ignoring the significant problems facing journalists at home, not least in Northern Ireland.”


Society of Editors executive director Ian Murray on the investigation ordered into the Huawei security leak to the Telegraph that led to the sacking of Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson: “For journalists and media organisations the ability to keep sources confidential and protect contacts and whistle-blowers is paramount. What can be seen by some to be unacceptable breaches of confidentiality will by others be considered as important airing of vital subjects. Regardless of how uncomfortable the subject matter may be, those in authority should resist the temptation to damage the UK’s reputation for enabling a free media to hold those in power to account.”

Tim Shipman @ShippersUnbound on Twitter:  "I do think it rather ill behoves journalists to dance on the grave of ministers who pick up the telephone from time to time. I don't think this country needs the security services hunting down journalists' sources."


Guardian editor-in-chief Kath Viner after the paper posted an £800,000 operating profit for the 2018-19 financial year – compared with a £57m loss three years previously: “Thanks to the support of our readers and the incredible hard work and talent of Guardian staff, we have reached an important financial milestone. We are now in a sustainable position, and better able to deliver on our purpose by producing outstanding journalism that understands and illuminates our times.”


Krishnan Guru-Murthy in The Observer: "I wouldn’t want to attack the BBC, but I think any big organisation with tiers of management is inevitably going to have a built-in caution. People are never quite sure if they are going to get the blame for something. The strength of Channel 4 News is that we are a small, nimble newsroom with a single editor, who has a single boss above him at the channel. So it’s a very streamlined process. When decisions need to be made about whether to air something or not, they can be made very quickly and there’s no arse-covering. That may account for our editorial confidence if you like by comparison with some other larger organisations."


Daily Beast reports: “Trump has repeatedly griped to associates about how his predecessor, Barack Obama, has had more Twitter followers than he has, even though—by Trump’s own assessment—he is so much better at Twitter than Obama is.”


Private Eye @PrivateEyeNews magazine on Twitter: "This is your periodic reminder that our editor is not on Twitter, and apart from the single tweet by @realianhislop a decade ago, any account using his name is not him."


Yorkshire Post editor James Mitchinson @JayMitchinson on Twitter: "Forgive my romanticism, but I honestly believe that quality journalism nourishes minds; informs people; connects communities; enhances civic responsibility. If only we were a growth industry..."

Sub editors 1952: National Archive/Newseum
Vincent Bevins @Vinncent on Twitter: "A piece of advice I gave to a young journalist the other day - if someone gives your article a headline that makes you look like an absolute shithead you can make them change it...Don't ask, just tell them it's inaccurate and needs to be improved. It's horrible watching good young writers getting chewed up so some website can try for 5-15% more clicks."

David Banks @DBanksy on Twitter: "This is the equivalent of sending young apprentices to the factory stores to fetch sparks for the grinder, or a bubble for the spirit level...Go on, tell the chief sub to change it, she won’t mind at all, no honestly, full of the milk of human kindness are the subs...While you’re at it, ask them to make sure you’ve got a byline, and while you’re there you may as well check what they’ve done to your intro...*Dials 999* Yeah, we may be needing an ambulance to the newsroom. No, make that a hearse."

Vincent Bevins @Vinncent on Twitter: "Lol this little thread got some traction in England so it has been quote tweeted by like 15 guys saying like 'yeah right good luck with that lads' and if you check their bios they are all like Night Editor at EastEssexRacismRag dot co dot uk."


Amol Rajan @amolrajan on Twitter after tweeting prise to his tv producers: "It is a total and unjust anomaly of so much journalism that so few take the credit for so many. Tried and failed to devise imaginative ways to give subs and desk editors more credit in newspapers. Tweeted shout-outs for producers is the very least we can do."

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