Monday 9 April 2007

The ghostly "freelancer"

Such a juicy nugget it deserves its own post (from an anon comment in the previous post):

there is this particular "editor" of a magazine who ghost writes articles for his own magazine and collects the payments through various accounts that he has created. this guy is an absolute genius. A master of download he ensures that he stays in his job by sucking up to his management and of course stabbing anyone who could remotely disturb his operations.

Well the journalists will all know who i am talking about .... he he .


Nice work if you can get it.

28 comments:

meeja tramp said...

Wow, interesting one. I had heard of similar antics by a magazine editor when he worked in UK, but he left Dubai's sunny shores a while ago.

Should we draw a line in the sand? Journos will always top up their income when they can, but I guess part-time work for PR companies (two editors at least) is crossing the line. As for fictional freelancers - damn, I wish I'd thought of that!

Anonymous said...

Oh I've thought of that one before. problem is I'm just too damned lazy. In fact, I'd much rather pay a freelancers to ghostwrite my bylined stuff, and give me more time down the beach.

Anonymous said...

Hmm...hot from the corridors of KT maybe

mediamonster said...

Part-time work for PR companies - big deal. How long does it take to dash off a 300 word press release - 20 minutes? Unless you're taking money to paste a release in your own publication, which is absolutely crossing the line.

But this phantom freelancing verges on fraud in my opinion. Doing freelance for other publications - even rival ones - big deal, so long as it doesn't affect your day job. But actually ripping off your main employer is just nasty. If they're that cuntish you feel they deserve it then get another job. If they won't give you an NOC, well, then maybe they deserve it in some karmic sense. But it's still fraud.

Anonymous said...

I disagree. I think that being a journalist and freelancing press releases is crossing the line, if for no other reason than you are predisposed to run the press releases without editing out the crap.

secretdubai said...

Not if they are for completely unrelated publications/beats. Eg you work on Your Dog magazine, and you write a couple of press releases on the side for a construction company. Where's the issue? How is that any different from freelancing an article for a construction title?

Anonymous said...

of course this "editor" writes for couple of pr agencies and magazines.

This fellow is such a cheapskate he will try to avoid spending his money. Working out deals with local restaurants he prefers his food free, his movies from dvds that are send by companies to review and ofcourse his travel coutesy free tickets.

he is quite the master our " editor". he is legendary amongst the people in his organization for his meaness.

Anonymous said...

Oh..have the guts to say the bloody name(s) or get over it...

Anonymous said...

so is anyone going to name this legend or not?????

Anonymous said...

hint dahlings ..... he is presently employed with Dubai's own true paper. he he ..... no no not emirates today

dxbimpressions said...

Waw, so this things happen even in reputable papers such as GN? Sad.

Anonymous said...

it is sad if it some one in GN. hmm
well ..
i believe they pay decent salaries

Anonymous said...

Oh, come on. I ain't no weasel, son. And neither are you. Some of us are utter sluts, true, but a few of us are in the gutter staring at the stars (before trying to blag a free star)

Anonymous said...

Anon - where did you hear that GN pay decent salaries?! Some depts haven't had a pay rise in years cos the section heads are too self involved to put in a word for their staff.

Is it RC by any chance?

Anonymous said...

think KT please dahlings

anon_mediator said...

Note: The weasel requested we remove his comment as it was written after consuming too many lemonades during the football.

Anonymous said...

Please can we name the genius journalist who thought of this wheeze? Anonymously if you must?

I'd like to take some lessons in how to top up my meagre salary and he sounds like quite the master.

Anonymous said...

this gentleman in his weekely column talked about his early years as a journalist .. he eh ewink wink

Anonymous said...

Bikram Vohra?!!

Anonymous said...

huh who .. sorry nope

Anonymous said...

RC from GN?

Anonymous said...

Love it, love it. Proves what the world already knows - this place my be all shiny towers, but there's a lot of muck at ground level.
Time to get out maybe, but we all want to know who the shyster hack is - KT or GN - who is fleecing his own firm.

Anonymous said...

I think I know who the "Editor" is . He ius capable of such behavior. Was in fact the subject of an investigation in his place of work.

quite a character.

well Dubai encourages such kind of cut and paste journalism .

Anonymous said...

Not Bikram Vohra, but did report to him once upon a time...
Guess again...

Anonymous said...

this genius works in KT

Anonymous said...

getting tedious.

name and shame. or move on.

Anonymous said...

PM in Kt

Anonymous said...

I'm curious...can anyone give the name please i'd love to learn from the master of "cut n paste"

PS: Im new to Dubai, who is RC at Gulf News...duh!