The Press Gazette's Axegrinder dug up these nasty little nuggets. You can read the full excerpts here and here, but here is our favourite little piece of turd-dom:
"I can tell you now that every application from a journalist wanting to come and work here who has included in his or her portfolio an "investigative" piece about labourers' living standards has gone straight in the bin. Not because the theme is unworthy – it is and we will do it – but because we are looking for other, more nuanced and mature avenues into the national story."So essentially if you are a journalist with the least miniscule microbe of talent, experience, news sense and ethics, no need to bother applying to Newland's Abu Dhabi government PR rag. Not unless you first sit UAE Media Course 101: How to prostitute every last shred of your integrity for the sheikh's oily dollar.
246 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 246 of 246Anyone who thinks Dubai is a paragon of capitalism doesn't understand capitalism. It is protectionist in the extreme from a business point of view. All real businesses are in the hands of a few trusted families, with the biggest of all -- oil -- being the preserve of the state/royalty. And the oil market is pretty far from a free market last time I checked. Not only that, the benefits offered to locals, who are, usually, not part of any capitalist system, are socialist to the extreme(free healthcare? Housing? Education?)
As for fascist. Well, yes. Ticks most of the boxes. But medieval feudal would be more accurate. They're not sophisticated enough to be true fascists. We're still in the realm of MacBeth here. "Hail Maktoum, who would be thane of Fujeirah"...
bye
Thank fuck that repetitive cunt's gone
You're obviously a lot closer to first year liberal arts than I am but as I recall the most interesting thing about Smith was the notion that self interest (ably expressed through capitalism) was socially beneficial but that self interest needs to be in the context of a formal system that caters to it and in some ways regulates it. (Like I said, been a long time since I wrote two thousand words on that between sessions at the university club.)
Dubai is a straight out monarchy and the UAE is a federation of monarchies that has the luxury of enormous natural resources and a common understanding that exploiting certain capitalist principles can help place them on the world stage and increase influence in the region.
All this talk of fascism and apartheid and Adam Smith economic theory is hilarious.
Good play bringing Shakespeare into the mix. What do I think of this pseudo-pop ,self serving claptrap? "I'd rather listen to my dog, barking at a crow."
Hell yes! Probably off to see an Angelina Jolie movie to find out what to think next.
(Anon 19:41 - thanks for cracking me up.)
Seeing as we're on the topic of censorship, check this out: http://wikileaks.cx/leak/uae-internet-censorship.pdf
Via wikileaks, it's a leaked document from (I think) Etisalat on their plans on how to censor the UAE...
The best bit of news I have had all day. Next...
'An ad hominem argument, also known as argumentum ad hominem (Latin: "argument to the man", "argument against the man")'
Thanks for the most boring, long-winded thread in human history.
What a bunch of twats (ad hominemly speaking).
It's not compulsory Chris, you can check out anytime.
Most segregated, most fascist, most evil, most everything else and now most long winded. We're the most at everything.
Most ad hominemest.
Is this the biggest blog entry in the world. Dubai needs that title.
Is Dubai also home to the biggest bunch of cunts?
The rest of the world seems to think that's the only thing you're really the best at - being a bunch of selfish cunts.
The only way to deal with you is to 'out cunt' you.
The whole Dubai thing ain't sustainable anyway - can't wait for it all to go down the pan and then watch you lot return to the real world where you'll be back to what you were doing before - signing on or sweeping floors.
Am also happy to see the workers rioting again - guess it's cos they weren't allowed time off to enjoy the sunshine. Can't wait to they start burning you guys out - the rest of the world will be laughing when it happens....
I thought you left this blog, after whining about the lack of intellectual and rational debate, after embarassing yourself with world's worst labels for Dubai, after continually slamming everyone here as inept and failed losers, then wetting yourself about ad hominem responses. And now you're going to "out cunt" everyone. I'm betting on you to win that contest.
Should let you go unremarked but you're just too much fun.
Incidentally, the riot to which you refer was widely reported by the press in the UAE - with images in Gulf News, and even more revealing ones published on arabianbusiness.com.
The state news agency, WAM, also contributed with a statement on behalf of the police.
Changing times indeed.
I read today that US deathtoll in Iraq reached 4,000. The journalist who wrote it must have been proud for popularizing a statistic the US govt doesn't like to talk about. He went home and made love to his wife, and his colleagues sent him a heads-up for the piece and invited him for a free beer at the pub. He felt good. He did his job, and the noble principle of press freedom shone brightly as ever.
Except his article did not talk about 1 million Iraqis murdered ruthlessly and without any offense given. About 1 million orphans and refugees that have been forever scarred emotionally and physically and whose future is sad mosaic of pain and suffering and humiliation. He did not write about civil war, terrorism and utter destruction that Americans brought to Iraq on a pack of lies. He did not call it a genocide or mass murder.
Because nobody expected him to. Not his editor, the journalist colleagues, nor his wife or the guys at the pub.
He may have even logged on to Dubai Media Observer before going to bed, leaving a comment about the need to bring journalistic integrity to the Middle Eastern press.
He felt good.
The civilian death toll in Iraq is a fairly mainstream story, in Dubai and in the US. In fact a piece in Gulf News marking the 4,000th US military death used it to talk specifically about civilian deaths.
As for the journalist celebrating his big story (let's hope he finds other reasons to "make love" to his wife besides his work related hard on)I can't imagine why he would be so pleased with himself as this milestone was being counted down from about death number 3,900 on most media outlets including CNN. Hardly a scoop.
I don't see what point you're trying to make.
this thread should be called 'let's all shout down anyone who dares criticise the little fascist police state we live in'
Or "Make a point worth reading in the first place."
Someone on this thread keeps claiming they are exposing the sordid underbelly when all they are actually doing is using stories that are well worn here and everywhere else to disprove their own point.
On journalists supposedly not reporting civillian deaths in Iraq: "Because nobody expected him to. Not his editor, the journalist colleagues, nor his wife or the guys at the pub."
There was a fair amount of editorial space devoted to this topic.
Oh boy, that little fable about the journalist reporting on the 4,000 dead was the best. "He made love to his wife (poor woman), a few beers with the boys ..." Is there a soundtrack to this cautionary tale?
Sure there's a soundtrack - it's made up of the weak and whiny voices of Dubai 'journalists' slagging each other off. Or of bad pub singers. Or is that the same thing??
Touche Einstein.
What do the double question marks do? Make sure we know you're really asking a question? To us? Those you accuse?
I nominate "Working Class Hero" but not the Green Day version.
ArabianBusiness.com article posted below. Personally I think Newland's approach is perfectly reasonable...
Abu Dhabi not looking to start newspaper war
Abu Dhabi is not looking to start a national newspaper war with the launch of its first English-language daily next month, the newspaper's editor has told ArabianBusiness.com.
Martin Newland, former editor of the UK's Daily Telegraph, said there was plenty of room in the market for another paper and he did not think its launch would spark a battle for readers and ad revenue with Dubai-based titles such as Gulf News, Khaleej Times and Emirates Business 24/7.
"I don’t want to start a newspaper war. I think there is room for all of us in this market, it's growing at such as rate," Newland said in an interview.
"I would be surprised if we take revenue and readers away from the competition."
Newland said the newspaper, thought to be called 'The Nation', would be a broadsheet with just over 80 pages of news, business, arts and culture, and sport daily. Newland would not confirm the name.
He said the paper would have around a 70/30 split between editorial and advertising. He revealed the paper had already hit its advertising target for the first issue, describing advertiser interest as "keen".
Asked how long it would be before the paper begins to turn a profit, Newland said a “handful” of years, without being more specific.
The publication, part of the state-owned Abu Dhabi Media Company, has been on the drawing board for over six months and Newland has been on a massive recruitment drive, hiring some 200 journalists from Britain, South Africa, Australia, the US and Canada.
News of the newspaper and Newland's appointment last year sparked frenzied speculation about the size and scale of the publication, with rumours flying about of a huge editorial budget with hundreds of journalists being paid outrageous salaries.
Newland said the newspaper had enough money "to get the initial job done", but that it was not on the same scale as a Wall Street Journal or New York Times, although he hoped it would be in years to come.
"I don’t want people to think this is some massive multi-billion dollar project and we are paying ludicrous salaries. It isn’t," Newland said, adding that the project was around the same size as the National Post in Canada, which he helped launch.
The newspaper's editorial policy has already come under fire from certain sections of the UAE media scene for comments reportedly made by Newland in a leaked memo to staff, in which he talks about binning the CVs of "investigative" journalists and says "we are not here to fight [for] press freedom".
The editor defended his remarks, stating that the primary goal was to launch a "quality newspaper" with "good journalism".
"I can’t lie and say I am spending lots and lots of money in order to fight a press freedom battle. That is not the job. The job is first and foremost to launch a quality newspaper," he said.
"You have to have the basics right before you start crusading [journalism] as it were."
Asked how the newspaper would cover stories sensitive to the government, such as labour strikes, Newland said he would not know until the paper launched, but that stories in the public domain needed to be reported.
"Stories that are in the public domain like things such as labour strikes have to be reported. Otherwise your credibility suffers," he said.
"All kinds of stewardship issues go on behind the scenes between editors and proprietors, but the problem is when it [a story] becomes public domain.
"Then everyone knows it is going on and they turn to their local media source to look at it and if it’s not there then that media source’s credibility suffers, and worse still you get some drive-by attempt by a foreign publication."
Newland said he thought there was less and less worry on the part of government about what the UAE media could report, and lots of "grey areas" had developed.
"You can go a long way in a grey area and we certainly intend to do that," he said.
Newland said the first issue would appear on newsstands "in less than a month", without being more specific.
The paper would only be available in the UAE initially, although there would be limited runs in some key cities around the world such as London and Washington "to explain to the world what the emerging UAE is", he said.
He would not reveal the cover price, but said it would not be a "market differentiator".
Unflinchingly pragmatic at least.
How are things in Camden, Dave?
How about Working Class Hero sung in a bad northern accent by a bad pub singer?
As for Newland - he knows which side of the bread is buttered that's for certain.
I wonder how much his spine cost?
But then he did use to work for convicted criminal Conrad Black, so it should be a smooth transition for him really.
There's a real inertia effect when it comes to newspaper journalism. The traditional press stopped being about news and truth and integrity a long time ago. It's just a business model that works the way it works. Expectations that newspapers will be the vanguard of social justice are quaint and misguided. That's what the internet does now. Sure, we can point to individual examples of press integrity but all the successful paper businesses follow the same model. Even publications renowned for their integrity are part of it. The Village Voice makes most of its money selling ads for prostitution in its back pages, while the front end thinks it's exposing courruption and organised crime and political malfeasance, which feeds off prostitution.
At least Newland isn't a hypocrite - the newspaper business is what it is and bright eyed young journos who think they can change the world with traditional mainstream column inches are kidding themselves.
I disagree with anon at 9.43 - these things have to be fought over and contested. We don't all just roll over and go "yes sir, whatever sir, three bags full sir"....
Oh shit.....
I forgot...
That's EXACTLY what you do in UAE
That's what happens everywhere in the world in the newspaper business. You're a self righteous cock. What paper do you work for?
Not one in Dubai - and yes journalists everywhere fight to get stories in, risking their lives and their freedoms - but of course there is the other kind of toadying, spineless journos who just do whatever they're told ALL the time. They'd actually do better if they worked in a bank - better hours and better pay.
And don't give me the 'we must take an objective view' line. No such thing exists. And there's a big difference between regurgitating press releases and breaking new stories.
There are an awful lot of people in Dubai who claim to be journalists but really they just work in publishing. There's a big big difference.
What paper do you work for? Or could that put your life in danger as you risk your life and freedom. You're an imposter. If you don't know that the newspaper business is publishing you don't work in the industry.
Post one of your stories, one where you set the standard for journalists everywhere, one that will put the Dubai press corp to shame.
Ha ha - certainly got you riled. I certainly don't have anything to prove on here.
The history of journalism has always been about campaigning - go back to the pamphleteers back in the 18th and 19th Century. The best journalists have also always been a thorn in the side of the establishment - from left or right.
The point is that such journalists really don't think purely about business - they think about getting their stories published. That may mean some commercial input and compromise but they are not driven purely by 'business.'
That's for publishers and, to a certain degree, editors.
So, if you think journalism is purely about business and making money you can't be driven by the right passions.
But that is largely the case in Dubai - people are purely driven by making money otherwise they wouldn't be there.
Like i said - why don't you get a job in banking?
Journalism isn't about business - newspaper publishing is. I don't see how you can be a writer when you can barely read or comprehend simple points. And your constant "Ha, ha, got you riled, must have touched a nerve" claims are schoolyard bullshit. Yes, people like you do get others riled because you're a pseudo-intelllectual pain in the ass.
If you don't have anything to prove here why do keep trying to prove something?
Pamphleteers? Please spare us, your Wikipedia fed pop history lessons.
Now you're telling us journalists are here for the money, previously you were telling us they were all here because they can't get jobs anywhere else. If you knew anything you'd know journalists aren't here getting rich.
Post one of your stories here and let us all see how it's done.
My guess: you came to Dubai, got your butt kicked, couldn't deal and went home after a couple of months claiming you left because it has no standards, is a fascist state and now you pontificate from the comfort of some low level job that lets you claim you work in the media and spend your time taking out your frustrations on Dubai because you couldn't cut it here.
You're an idiot and I hope you keep posting here just so I can continue being amused by your flaccid, incoherent, misguided, convuluted, pointless rants.
man oh man - you are riled.
You agree with me and then tell me i my rants are pointless? Are you even aware of anything you write or read or are you just programmed to react?
"put one of your stories up here" - what are you? 10?
got my butt kicked in dubai????? Ha ha ha haha - what are you going on about?
anyway it's fun coming on here and occasionally winding you lot up.
like i said go and get a job in a bank.
Also be happy to publish a story on this site - my terms are $1 a word and I'll need a brief and a contract before doing so. We can discuss copyright at a later date.
I'm not particularly riled - except that you're trying to pass yourself off as a journalist.
I haven't agreed with a single claim you've made and I don't recall anyone else on this blog doing so either.
Put up an article you've written so we can all read it and learn from you. You claim journalism is a noble pursuit, a crusade for freedom - then ask a dollar a word! Who was it who once said: "So, if you think journalism is purely about business and making money you can't be driven by the right passions."? Oh, that would be you. So let's hear it, share some of your passion by way of an article you've written, about anything, ever.
I doubt you command a dollar a word, unless it's goodbye. I bet people pay good money to hear you say that.
"We can discuss copyright at a later date."
What a tool.
And I thought that repetitive cunt had gone...
Do we have to pay for the IFs ANDs BUTs and THEs, or just the words that are actual thorns in the side of the establishment? (You know, like hegemony and disenfrancise.)
"Pamphleteers? Please spare us, your Wikipedia fed pop history lessons."
Amusing.
That's a $2 word.
If it says so in the brief and the contract.
Here's a few $5 words - useless cunts disembark to Dubai because they can't get work anywhere else.
You mean disembark at not to.
I guess he charges extra for grammar.
Probably right.
Special, deal, on, commas, today, only, 10, fils, a,piece,
Here's some priceless words: Please. Fuck. Off. (the punctuation is intentional and free of charge)
There are many interests involved so that there is news worth reading. It's like a bubble.
Post a Comment