Dubai Media Observer: R.I.P. E.E.P.

Sunday, 22 April 2007

R.I.P. E.E.P.

Time to put black armbands on
For the Emirates Evening Post is gone
It's finally given up the ghost
Let's bid adieu to the late great Post

100 comments:

Anonymous said...: Amen and farewell..; 23 April, 2007 06:13
Anonymous said...: do you think anyone will notice?; 23 April, 2007 12:24
Anonymous said...: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11444:uaes-only-evening-newspaper-closes&Itemid=72; 23 April, 2007 18:08
Anonymous said...: Always the first to report - you guys are amazing!

I'm conducting memorial services on my blog too, with memorabilia :-)

farrukh; 23 April, 2007 23:39
Anonymous said...: have any other newspapers been closed this week? I've heard that a total of 3 were shut down....

Rob; 24 April, 2007 15:50
Anonymous said...: isn't it weird to shut it just a day before the Arab Media Forum where everyone is calling for freedom of speech and all sorts of respected journalism??; 25 April, 2007 11:22
Anonymous said...: yup... the timing is eerie, really!; 25 April, 2007 13:08
Anonymous said...: Just heard 7days closing as well -- not said in jest -- anyone got the scoop? Did not receive it this morning, although that's happened before...; 25 April, 2007 14:41
Anonymous said...: Anyone got any serious insight on this new Abu Dhabi paper?; 25 April, 2007 16:01
Anonymous said...: If anyone has any contact details for the AD newspaper then be a gent (or lady) and whack 'em on here.; 25 April, 2007 16:50
Anonymous said...: Have been told that the NMC has has it's sights on 7days, and as all publications now have to have their licences approved by them...it could be in trouble.; 25 April, 2007 18:39
Anonymous said...: 7 days suspended by Dubai government. It will now com eout of Abu Dhabhi. All printing presses in Dubai have been advised to not take the 7 days printing contracts.

hmm all this in the week of the Arab media summit .....; 25 April, 2007 21:30
Anonymous said...: Has anybody called 7 Days to check this or is it just hearsay?; 26 April, 2007 16:19
Anonymous said...: I saw 7 Days today so not sure where the shutdown rumour came from. I heard the other papers shut down were the other titles that EEP's publisher has. (I think Urdu/Malayalam papers). It doesn't appear to be that sinister. They just didn't have the licences to publish and probably realised it wasn't worth their while to carry on.; 26 April, 2007 17:03
moaksey said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 26 April, 2007 19:45
Anonymous said...: Mubadala + Newspaper = Rubbish Newspaper + Pages of Etihad Airlines Ads + Rubbish + "Abu Dhabi is better than Dubai because" Rubbish + More Rubbish; 26 April, 2007 19:46
Anonymous said...: Haven't seen Sport 100 for a couple of weeks - anyone know if that has been shut down too? Very worrying times. AMG and its bosses seem to think the way to beat any competition is to get it all shut down or taken over. God forbid if Emirates Today were to be the only English tabloid left; 28 April, 2007 13:07
Dubai Media Observer said...: I think this was bound to happen. There are too many papers to cater to a very small population. Nobody is really trying to differentiate. Instead, everyone is trying to target everyone.

And when you do try to differentiate, it doesn't go very well with the advertisers. So, consolidation and shutting down the smaller guys seems like the natural thing to happen.

Cruel, but that's the way it is.; 29 April, 2007 14:31
Dubai Media Observer said...: farrukh: At least you could have referenced DMO if we were the first to report.

Sigh..; 29 April, 2007 14:33
Anonymous said...: I agree that smaller players closing is inevitable, but that's not all that's happening here. You can certainly put Sport 100 (assuming it has closed) down to market forces, but the reason 7days is having problems is precisely because it is so popular. And with AN behind them, it's not down to a lack of cash either. The fact is there is no free and fair competition here - there are too many vested interests.; 29 April, 2007 15:45
Anonymous said...: I have heard that Muna Ahmed - Emirates Today's fearless Emirati news hound and peerless wordsmith - is going to take over as 7days overlord. Any truth in this? With her unmatched work etchic, monumental nose for a story, celebrated grasp on the English language and refulgent reporting she would be ideal.; 29 April, 2007 18:28
Anonymous said...: Emirates Evening Post closing - it seems that anything that passes by the hapless Concept Group ends up on the rubbish pile - that's what happens when you have a CEO who takes no interest at all in his products and prefers instead to social climb the Indian celeb 'c' list.
Death knells soon for RetailME and Millionaire....; 30 April, 2007 02:47
Anonymous said...: Does that mean Darth Maul, sorry Shalini Seth, will be back looking for another job? In that case please someone save Millionaire magazine lest we have to come across this unpleasant, talentless piece of work again.; 30 April, 2007 15:26
Anonymous said...: is Mark Johnson still at Concept then?; 30 April, 2007 15:33
Anonymous said...: EUDORE NEWS....

"It’s not easy being a journalIist. Most work hard, some hardly at all and everyone gets low pay. It is a thing that gets into your blood and sustains a lifestyle a doctor could write a thesis on and, upon hearing of which, a life or health insurer would get nightmares.
Late nights, no regular weekends or work hours, stressful daily deadlines, a mobile phone (earlier it was the pager) that refuses to die on your days off, a family that demands a normal (what is that?) lifestyle and a melting pot of cultures to cope with and it begins to make sense why some of the smart ones opt for public relations or corporate communications.

They drive Mercedes, Jaguars, Porsches and Range Rovers, while most of us, being environmentally conscious, drive the more fuelefficient Japanese makes.

I have been offered other jobs with much higher salaries and even greater benefits but I still am here. Why?"

Make your own gags.; 30 April, 2007 17:42
Anonymous said...: Why hasn't he been lured away by all these many offers of riches and power?

It's down to one of the following:

Either it's because he loves being at the vanguard of honest, pulsating, cutting-edge, investigative journalism on Dubai's top organ, helping to break the exclusives that no-one else gets near to and revolutionising newspaper coverage in the Gulf....

Or because he enjoys being a great big thanker for the establishment and his bosses, spending the whole day wandering about getting on everyone's tits.

You decide.

I bet there was a massive queue of head-hunters the length of SZR.; 30 April, 2007 20:46
Anonymous said...: MJ was forced to resign from CG after he had his visa refused - apparently some of the stories he wrote while at 6days upset some local authorities - BTW other former 6days staffers are going through the same shit - so much for press freedom in our 'good news only' nation.
Last I heard he was back in the UK, but his 'mates' say he's been offered a couple of postings back out here in the dust - all of which he has turned down.
Darth Maul (oops, Seth) apparently now thoinks she is untouchable and continues to twixt the CG management round her hapless fingers.
Word is the Pierre and Aldrin (mktg dir & CEO) haven't got a clue what to do and are shit scared of upsetting the magazine owners back in Holland...'isn't that weird'.; 30 April, 2007 20:51
Anonymous said...: Nice of you to join us Eudore. But please:

'vanguard of honest, pulsating, cutting-edge, investigative journalism on Dubai's top organ, helping to break the exclusives that no-one else gets near to and revolutionising newspaper coverage in the Gulf'

Aint that stretching things to an unfeasible level?; 30 April, 2007 20:53
Anonymous said...: I think the bit you have just quoted was written very much with tongue in cheek. The sarcastic tone seems to have gone over some people's heads though.; 30 April, 2007 23:20
Anonymous said...: What's going on with reporters trying to renew visas? I've now heard of two cases of reporters going through agonising investigations, police visits, interrogations and pumping wastas to stay in the country. Strange, no?; 30 April, 2007 23:32
Anonymous said...: I don't know - many of us are sick to the back teeth of arrogant Indian colleagues, none of whom fulfil their job specs, all of whom are climbing the greasy career pole for more money and who will stad you in the back at a moments notice - it's well known and documented. Chand at least is willing to co-operate and work with 'non-Indians' and doesn't see every non-Indian' as a total threat to his ego....get over it and start producing. Look at Millionaire's Seth - useless, spiteful, vicious and so fearful of other talent she just gets it sacked; The Indian mafiosa is well and alive at Gulf news, ET, KT and elsewhere.....; 01 May, 2007 12:43
Anonymous said...: AMEInfo's 'mouse like' editor, Peter Cooper, has been forced into retirement.

The move follows a widely anticipated move by the business information site's new owners, EMAP, to beef up the coverage, most of which is currently press releases.

Cooper, who was ed in chief for the last seven years, will become a freelance writer in DMC.

Wonder who will take his place? Any suggestions?; 01 May, 2007 13:04
Anonymous said...: he eh indian media, south african media mafia, sudanese media mafia and of course the lebanese media mafia. err have i missed out any oh yes the english media mafia.

as an indian journalist working in the middle east i have seen each of these so called mafias bad mouth each other. each claim the other is without talent.

bloody hilarious and quite sad also. i suppose that is the magic of dubai. i have lazy journalists and extremely hard working ones, arrogant ones and guys with ego. This is across nationalities. i suppose u get ass holes everywhere.; 01 May, 2007 13:21
Anonymous said...: I'll do it for 40k a month and a bentley; 01 May, 2007 15:05
Anonymous said...: Mark Johnson did NOT leave (No) Concept Media due to 'visa issues' and to expect us to believe that, Mark, is fanciful in the extreme.

Mark basically got sacked from CM as none of the existing staff felt they could work with him and his idiosyncratic, talentless and offensive ways.

Again, Mark basically got the sack from 7days as he went on holiday, they hired someone else to be business editor, then called him to say: 'don't come back'.

The suggestion that these imaginary 'visa issues' were down to some fearless and hard-hitting stories at 7days would raise a smile with staff and readers alike...!; 01 May, 2007 16:06
Anonymous said...: I didn't know that Mark was even full-time at 7days. I thought he was freelance.

Mark was sacked from GN though.; 01 May, 2007 16:45
Anonymous said...: I can't comment on whether or not MJ really had his visa refused by immigration, but it's a fact that other journalists who have left 7days have. Anyone who claims otherwise is mistaken.; 01 May, 2007 17:16
Anonymous said...: what do u think is the fate of the beefy new tabloid xpress, do they have a chance with thier exciting news articles?; 01 May, 2007 18:29
Anonymous said...: Guys, get your facts straight - MJ DID suffer major visa issues, I saw the rejection notices twice. By the time they were resolved, he decided he'd had enough of the place and headed back to UK...

He was a freelancer at 7DAYS and told them he wouldn't be back because he had already setup is own (now defunct) business news website, as many of us already know.

To add to this, you should all be very afraid - I know at least two other journalists in Dubai currently going through the same torture. Anyone close to MJ would also know the British Consulate in Dubai was involved, as was the head of Dubai Police.

Let's keep this thread clear of any slanderous comment. I'd hate to see it taken down, in our so-called 'free thinking emirate'.; 01 May, 2007 20:10
Anonymous said...: Xpress - laughable, low-budget, me too and devoid of any orginal thought. whatever happened to reality...bring back the old days...anyone know whatever happened to Dave Marshall, ex dubai eye'er; 01 May, 2007 20:13
Anonymous said...: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117963974.html?categoryId=1061&cs=1

for once, dubai's self-censorship is for the best, because this lunatic is an fantasist who should have lost his job years ago.; 01 May, 2007 21:09
Anonymous said...: The last comment about Stephenson is purely opinion and not fact.

Once again Dubai is proving itself hugely disrespectful of others who come to the emirate with their talent and skill, who make every effort to help develop the place as worthy of note and then some talentless 'local' minces in and treats every foreigner like a fly to be squatted.

Dubai - be careful how you treat people for it will come back to haunt us. Already thousands of people around the world are sharing tales of maltreatment in the City that couldn't care less about others.

It may be that the authorities can prevent us inside the UAE from ever writing the truth or fair comment, but the UAE is still a tiny little blimp on the earth and there are many, many more places for talent to live and breathe without fear.; 01 May, 2007 21:33
Anonymous said...: Can anyone confirm that the hapless, verbose and utterly boring 'editor' of RetailME has been axed?
Has to be good news, as A. (over the) Hill is one of the most verbally incontinent, disagreeable and flatulent editors ever to come to our happy little nation-state.
If true, sounds like CG could be at last weeding out its old rubbish.; 01 May, 2007 21:38
Anonymous said...: Can anyone confirm a rumour that the hapless, verbose and utterly boring 'editor' of RetailME has been axed?
Has to be good news, as A. (over the) Hill is one of the most verbally incontinent, disagreeable and flatulent editors ever to come to our happy little nation-state. His treatment of freelancers is apparently appalling - basically they find fault and then cut the fee.
If true, sounds like CG could be at last weeding out its old rubbish.; 01 May, 2007 21:40
Anonymous said...: anon at 20.10.

Really? MJ left 7days? That completely contradicts what I was told by people in both management and staff there.

He was freelance - that's for sure. But I was told he was asked politely not to come back. Which is the same thing that happened to him at GN.

He may well have had visa issues, but I don't remember him being too controversial (journalistically) at either GN or 7days.; 02 May, 2007 09:39
Anonymous said...: is patrick michael still around; 02 May, 2007 11:46
Anonymous said...: You obviously never read Johnson's articles. Or his often spikey column in 7DAYS, which was apparently what got the 'authorities' so riled.

Or could it simply be that, like so many on this site, you hide behind your anonymity while throwing stones at those you simply don't like, or who are no longer around/or interested in Dubai's increasingly parochial media scene.

Chand, Johnson, and all the other journos seem to have one thing in common - they held senior positions and appear to have done well - Bitter barbs from those less accomplished in their careers are no only predictable and obvious, but they are in danger of rendering this blogsite a saddo's retreat.

What makes you so accomplished? are you so right in your rantings that you would identify yourself to us all - Mmmm, thought not.; 02 May, 2007 12:38
Anonymous said...: I heard Dave Marshall had been brought in to restructure Sh*tty Seven and turn it into an award winning channel; 02 May, 2007 12:58
Anonymous said...: Anon at 12.38...well said, made so much more poignant by your anonymous status.

Maybe the reason most people are anonymous are because they have worked, are are currently working with some of these people. OR they themselves may well be senior and be privvy to a thing or two.

Personally, I have no idea if he was sacked or left 7days voluntarily. Ultimately I don't care. I got told one thing, others got told another. I also got told first hand that most people who worked with him didn't like him, but you probably heard differently...

C'est la vie in Dubai medialand.

PS - theres a bit of difference between contentious characters like MJ (who have seemingly lasted less than 4 months in each senior position at three companies, no mean feat even by dubai standards) and long-term brown-nosers like EC.; 02 May, 2007 14:45
Anonymous said...: Lol...just throwing in my tuppence as a PR....no doubt you hacks will treat it as such....

One thing this site has given the PR/mktg community is a deep insight into the weird bunch you all are. Thank Maktoum you are never allowed such offensive comment of the real issues facing our emirate...God help us if you were allowed to write with such abandon about others.

Keep devouring your own, please, and the rest of us will be safe.; 02 May, 2007 15:34
Anonymous said...: Don't get us started on PR people...; 02 May, 2007 15:42
Anonymous said...: Hey guys, I'm another 'anon' journo, but will give ya's a clue, my office is in Garhoud. Lol.

I worked with MJ at ITP and he resigned after three months, but stayed for six months until they found a replacement - he didn't like the way they worked, which is why he resigned - a lot of ITP people know this. Also, he threw a fab Christmas party one year that went on 'til the very wee hours. Many an ITP head was sore the next day.

He worked as a freelance at 7DAYS from March til August last year - just check the 7days site for his byline - 6 months, nice gig for a freelancer!

Two of my mates worked with him at GN and said he kicked ass trying to get rid of all the wire copy on the business pages and bring in fresh content from the 12+ reporters GN's business team had. Unfortunately, GN didn't like that, so they agreed to part ways.

He may not have been everyone's best friend, but he is known for being direct and no nonsense in his approach. I think we need this in Dubai, or maybe I'm naive.

Some of us are fed up working for folks that have no idea how to take responsibility and see being a manager as just an excuse to let everyone else do the work, then take all the glory.

Could it be that the 'ferral' writing team at CG just weren't used to being properly managed?; 02 May, 2007 15:47
Anonymous said...: Don't understand the rumour about 'auld' Alex Hill.

Yes he may be a right boring old fart, but at least he knows a good earner when he sees one.

I feel sorry for him - apparently he's got to sit in the same room as Daft Seth all day. Who would want that?; 02 May, 2007 15:50
Anonymous said...: Hey anon PR person.

Ever thought its because we consider you beneath contempt? ;-); 02 May, 2007 17:19
Anonymous said...: Why do some po-faced old bores try to pour scorn on the contributors to this site accusing people of being failed, sniping, embittered, lowly hacks.

Personally I think this site is the sharpest and most humourous read in Dubai by a country mile. If you can't stand the heat then just stay out of the DMO kitchen.; 03 May, 2007 13:02
Anonymous said...: Anon said....

Xpress - laughable, low-budget, me too and devoid of any orginal thought. whatever happened to reality

01 May, 2007 20:13

Have you ever read it? Clearly not. It may have some teething troubles but I for one am impressed and its growing on me. It is, without doubt:

a) original
b) bright
c) an entertaining read
d) and, most importantly, has broken some stories I have never seen elsewhere in all my years here - and without shouting EXCLUSIVE all over them, unlike ET - prison conditions, wasta, desert killing fields, America's Cup, car heists, Iranian strippers, Indian dance clubs, money laundering... and many more. Not bad for less than two months existence. Just a shame its only a weekly.; 03 May, 2007 13:48
Anonymous said...: To be honest - it's probably better off staying as a weekly.

If it was a daily it would be hard to keep up the original story treatment and ideas as they have a daily grind deadline to hit.; 03 May, 2007 15:48
Anonymous said...: Anyone know who's on the editorial team at Suppress, sorry, Xpress?; 03 May, 2007 15:56
Anonymous said...: Xpress had a few good stories in the first two-three issues (as you'd expect given the fact they'd had two years to work on them) and has since dried up. This week for example is just plain dull.

As for their 'exclusive' stories, they didn't really say anything. The wasta story, for example, merely stated that there is such a thing as wasta. That was it. Fascinating.

To describe it as 'bright', 'entertaining' and 'original' suggests either that you've never read it or that you work for it.; 03 May, 2007 17:11
Anonymous said...: Compared to 7days (lets face it the letters and provocative front pages were 7days only plus points, now they are gone its not worth picking up anymore), it's a work of art.

It's certainly different, but editorially a bit hit and miss.; 03 May, 2007 17:27
Anonymous said...: 7days is still pretty solid as there is a good core there of people who know what they are doing but the current editor is clearly too weak to push the boundaries in the way the paper became (in)famous for. He/she might not actually have the ability to keep the paper aggressive, I don't know who they are.

A lot of the recent news and splash pages read a bit like Emirates Today, which is about the most insulting accusation that could be levelled at any publication.

If Tony Metcalf is still in the country he must be fuming at what is happening to his 'baby'.; 03 May, 2007 20:04
Anonymous said...: I don't think I've ever heard the Editor of 7days described as 'weak'. 'Clueless' yes, but 'weak'? He's more aggressive than Wayne Rooney, a cruise liner full of steroids and a pissed off White Rhino combined.

Sadly 7days these days is utter tat and is no longer worth reading. A very effective job done by the powers that be. And it will soon cease to exist if the NMC gets its way.; 04 May, 2007 02:42
Anonymous said...: Tony Metcalf would fume at the opening of a sentence.
He was a disrespecting, bullying, money-grabbing, bull-shitting user who was quite rightly kicked out by the authorities.
He strung his ed team along with the promise of more wages, better working conditions and medical cover - none of which he delivered.; 04 May, 2007 13:40
Anonymous said...: Anonymous @ 13.48. Agreed with your thoughts. XPRESS is original, bright and entertaining. Can't say that of any other paper here in Dubai. But you are wrong to say it is an exclusive paper. That is just the truth. Compared it to International standards like Times OF India, Washington Post and New York Times is wrong. Those are newspapers with many reporting staff and government interviewers. Read it for fun and learn about this city's many happenings. There is not another newspaper that will give this many things. I can't remember any 7days story from the past 2 months. And Emirates Today is even worse.; 04 May, 2007 22:54
Anonymous said...: I seem to have been misunderstood here. I didn't say Xpress was an exclusive newspaper or packed full of exclusives. The point I was trying to amke was that when Xpress does have a decent story, and there have been a few that I have never seen in other papers, it doesn't scream exclusive all over them, unlike Emirates Today where even any run of the mill interview in the sports pages is always dubbed exclusive. It lets the reader make up their own mind as to whether a story is good or not. Fair play to them, I think it's the best read out there. Mind you, that's not saying too much though, given the competition.; 05 May, 2007 12:31
Anonymous said...: "Tony Metcalf would fume at the opening of a sentence.
He was a disrespecting, bullying, money-grabbing, bull-shitting user who was quite rightly kicked out by the authorities.
He strung his ed team along with the promise of more wages, better working conditions and medical cover - none of which he delivered."

Quite simply, that's utter bollocks. Inaccurate from start to finish and perhaps the best way this can be shown is that the ed team you describe as being so roundly taken for a ride would do almost anything to have him back at the paper in place of the current editor whose ineptitude and unpopularity is well known.

'money-grabbing' - the person that set up the paper?; 05 May, 2007 14:19
Anonymous said...: Emails from various 7days staff arrive here on a regular basis and are the object of much mirth (and some concern) in Serafin's little kingdom.

I've never seen invective like it. "Clueless", "incompetent", "weak", "hated by all", "lazy", "totally out of his depth", "massively divisive".

These are just the ones I can report in a family blog. I have a pint with a 7days staffer from time to time and he says the atmosphere is poison when the editor is around. When he's not there, the overall mood is one of revolt, laced with a total lack of comprehension that the guy could ever have need hired, let alone keep the job...

Get well 7days, Dubai needs you.; 05 May, 2007 14:30
Anonymous said...: Why exactly does Dubai NEED 7Days?

To get all the wire copy about what was happening in the rest of the world 2 days ago?

I've gone without it for 6 months now and have not missed it once.

Try this:

* International news from the Web and TV.

* Daily local news from GN and ET.

* The most interesting local news and weird pictures from XPRESS.

* Groundbreaking/boundary-pushing and actually provocative journalism from blogs.

* Maybe take a sudoku from City Times.

7Days is old news. It tried and it failed. Why hang onto the past (when it had a chance of actually doing something) when it is clearly not very good?

Just read the paper and you can see it has expired. Just look at the facts.

Can we talk about something else now?; 05 May, 2007 15:14
Anonymous said...: Daily local news from GN and ET? Better not get caught with those drugs. Certainly, no-one reads ET excpet to laugh at it. Paid for circulation of less than a thousand now...

If a current turnover well in excess of $10m a year is failure, I'd love to see your interpretation of success.

The answer to your question is 'no, we can't talk about something else'. There's a big clue to what is discussed here in the name of the blog and the threads give a strong indication that 7days is a worthwhile subject for debate.

Not happy? You know what to do; leave well alone.; 05 May, 2007 15:58
Anonymous said...: "I don't think I've ever heard the Editor of 7days described as 'weak'. 'Clueless' yes, but 'weak'? He's more aggressive than Wayne Rooney, a cruise liner full of steroids and a pissed off White Rhino combined"

You've not been keeping up with the news, good fella. The aggression that characterised Sawyer's stint at Gulf News (which ended in dismissal) is all gone.

He tried 'bully boy' tactics at 7days to begin with, before he got an official warning. Better than getting the sack I suppose!; 05 May, 2007 16:05
Anonymous said...: a friend of mine worked with Sawyer in the UK briefly ... he says the descriptions in these comments are far milder than any of the rumblings he heard.

However, I would hate to see criticism of the editor of 7Days fuel the critics of the paper. Dubai needs competition - whether you like it or not.; 05 May, 2007 21:47
Anonymous said...: I missed the 7Days glory days. All due respect to staffers - seriously.

How big is the newsroom? How often are reporters expected to file?; 05 May, 2007 22:07
Anonymous said...: It's very sad to see 7days in the state it is in. I'd never have thought that within 1 year it would go from must read, to barely worth picking up.

I saw it today and read a total of 2 pages. It took me less than 2 minutes.; 06 May, 2007 10:17
Anonymous said...: Surely Associated Newspapers will step in soon? Bad for their brand name (and investment) to let 7Days continue the decline.; 06 May, 2007 10:42
Anonymous said...: 7Days really isn't any different now to how it was two years ago.

The rest just got better and we've raised our standards.

Unless 7Days does the same we can say goodbye and thanks for the (distant) memories.

Once the best by a mile but now a fourth place newspaper.

Reporters can't file that often - there is just one page of news.; 06 May, 2007 12:18
Anonymous said...: But what can Associated do? With only three-four exceptions, the team is largely the same as it was a year ago. The problem isn't one of ability, it's that they can't get away with doing what they used to.

Perhaps some livelier design might help a bit?; 06 May, 2007 12:22
Anonymous said...: I don't think you can argue that 7days has stayed the same over the least two years. Speaking to staffers, back then pretty much anything was fair game, within reason. These days reporters are routinely told their story ideas are off limits. It may be that other papers have also upped their games, but 7days has definitely gone significantly down hill. I'd be interested to know if other people agree.; 06 May, 2007 12:33
Anonymous said...: "The rest just got better and we've raised our standards." Anonymous 12:18

If you work at Gulf News then fair enough but 7days is still the second best paper in Dubai. Claiming Emirates Today and Khallej Times are superior is insane. I don't work at 7days but it still pulls out decent stuff now and then.; 06 May, 2007 13:24
Anonymous said...: 7days needs an editor who is competent and who has the respect of his/her staff. This is not the case at present, to put it mildly.; 06 May, 2007 13:46
Anonymous said...: Anon at 15.58.

Do you think that 7days will turn over $10m this coming year?

Also financials are not an indication of quality of product.; 06 May, 2007 14:33
Anonymous said...: Third best I reckon if you include Xpress...
1 GN. 2 Xpress 3. 7Days 4. ET 5. KT; 06 May, 2007 14:43
Anonymous said...: Yes, and:

"Also financials are not an indication of quality of product"

Never suggested they were. The word you used was "failed".

Make your mind up.; 06 May, 2007 14:56
Anonymous said...: What are the resective sizes of the editorial departments at these papers?; 06 May, 2007 17:43
Anonymous said...: I think anon, is perhaps thinking that anon said something when maybe anon was just replying to a blanket statement made by anon...; 06 May, 2007 19:11
Anonymous said...: To anon, 6 May 10.42: associated newspapers should put in a crack troubleshooter from uk, and use their muscle to shout down anyone who questions their editorial policy. take 7Days' balls out of AMG's handbag and start making waves again.; 06 May, 2007 19:36
Anonymous said...: opprssdjourno - you are absolutely spot on. Get some life back into the paper and having it do what it's good at - annoying people.

The fact that the staff all hate the editor with a passion (it's alleged) is not really the point. The point is the splashes are weak when they used to be knockout, so someone isn't very good at their job.; 06 May, 2007 21:18
Anonymous said...: So...anyone at (or recently at) 7days want to come on anonymously and shed some light/truth on what's going on?; 07 May, 2007 09:40
Anonymous said...: Even the print quality's gone down awfully. Have they changed their printers?; 07 May, 2007 13:43
Anonymous said...: Anon @ 9.40.

When the time is right, I am guranteed to get a 7days friend of mine to set the record staight.

Most of it alreadey discussed, though...; 07 May, 2007 19:32
Anonymous said...: yes, think they have changed printers - probably over the ructions with AMG.; 08 May, 2007 09:58
Anonymous said...: While I agree KT is not the best paper in Dubai, it does have the best court reporter. Have a good read of KT and you'll find some seriously wild stories especially from RAK and Fujairah. The other papers usually pick them up two or three days later.; 15 May, 2007 23:04
Anonymous said...: Condemn me to death but other than the home news section of ET, I think it's a decent read.

World news is what you would expect from world news and the correspondents (was it Chris or Phil??) tend to be well-written and well-researched.

Business is (usually) fairly well written - but Allah forbid when they expand.

Features tend to be a bit boring (anybody want to read about special needs again? Go on, it's a 'new' angle). Saying that they have improved of late.

Sport is as good as anything else on the market, if not better.

Women's section is a women's section and so I don't read it.

Entertainment is crap, but then as Paul Weller would sing...

Thoughts please...; 16 May, 2007 00:23
Anonymous said...: I forgot to critique the Opinion page. I enjoy reading this also, but more for fun than anything else.

Home news is a clear weakness but I fear it's probably more due to the powers that be than anything else. It certainly was when I worked there. And JL will be happy to second that.; 16 May, 2007 00:39
Anonymous said...: To 00.23.

You are condemned to death! Although I agree with you in parts about business. It is generally informative.

World News is good albeit a few days old and Gulf News sport is far better, although Toady's cricket was good.

Home news? Need I comment??; 16 May, 2007 00:47
Anonymous said...: Good: World news, Sport

Good for the wrong reasons: Opinion and letters, pure unintentional comedy

Bad: Entertainment and lifestyle stuff

Awful: Home news

Being as home and features is what ET sells itself on...; 22 May, 2007 17:22
Anonymous said...: news of Mark Johnson. For those who indulge in MJ tracking:

http://www.hommedelamaison.blogspot.com/; 25 June, 2007 21:06
Anonymous said...: So MJ believes he's Ben Kenobi to Seth's Maul? Fascinating... he's probably better off standing dolefully around the Marais district. Nice arms, lad, but from what I hear, that's about it. Next time you're in Dubai, post it, this little non-entity would like to buy you a beer. There's a story in a little Brit gay lad's identification with Star Wars; 25 June, 2007 22:22
Anonymous said...: What's happening at CM? Heard that a grim looking consultant was called (sent?)in and he promptly sacked several staff in the name of restructuring. Same source says RetailME and Millionaire are down to one editorial staff member each.; 02 July, 2007 16:25
Anonymous said...: The posters here must have the Stockholm syndrome: 7 Days was always weak, and Tony Metcalf was a poor excuse for a journalist. Truth never mattered to him.

From my experience, I must agree that Tony Metcalf was a "disrespecting, bullying, money-grabbing, bull-shitting user." Whether he was "rightly kicked out by the authorities" remains up for debate.

The poster who says "that's utter bollocks" sounds a lot like the Tony I remember: A jerk.; 30 March, 2009 08:53
Abid M.G. said...: starting the post again after 2 years? so much has happened since then. everyone, do update.; 22 October, 2009 15:58

Dubai Media Observer

Sunday, 22 April 2007

R.I.P. E.E.P.

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