Two Doctors: Media: December 2008 Archives

Media: December 2008 Archives

Cat's paw.

on December 14, 2008 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The inevitable, although delayed, entry of Tommy Sheridan into the Big Brother house was announced in today's News of the World (which also covered our warm homes campaign, pleasingly, as did the SoS).

A Channel 4 source is quoted as saying "He's our new George Galloway". Yes, precisely he is, in almost every way.

Once a credible politician, although too long ago for most people to remember: check. Then embroiled in scandal: check. Identifies as socialist, but primarily raving self-publicist: check. Hounded out of one discredited party, then formed another: check. Dodgy tan: check.

If Channel 4 can make him do animal impressions too, it'll all be worth it.

Breaking: entire Herald and Times staff to be made redundant.

James

on December 3, 2008 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is unbelievable - Newsquest have told every single journalist on the Herald, the Sunday Herald and the Evening Times that they will be made redundant and will have to reapply for their jobs. Yesterday the BBC told their Scottish staff that another seventy-four jobs will be shed next year, on top of ninety-six from this year.

Both decisions are wrong on so many levels. If they go ahead, we'll have fewer investigations, fewer critical eyes to scrutinise us here in Parliament, hard-working staff will be let go for pure short-termism, their families will face the most anxious Christmases, it's just dire.

Journalists (much as they often frustrate me, usually by not running programmes or printing papers which entirely consist of Green press releases) are vital to democracy. A country with rigorous scrutiny is one where scandals are spotted, public governance is more secure, where light is cast into dark spaces. We need, believe it or not, more journalists, not fewer. I am aghast.