Monday 8 September 2008

Launch your missiles at the KT relaunch

By request, a Khaleej Times relaunch thread.

Your opinions on The Nation's Favourite No 1. Revamped Newspaper please.

PS: Anyone else still dearly miss the "dear readers" editorial letters by former KT Dear Leader Mohammed A.R. Galadari? You can still find them here - Comment Section - if you are feeling nostalgic.

45 comments:

Anonymous said...

Haven't seen a hard copy yet but the website looks very 1998.

Anonymous said...

am not a fan of all the capital leaders in the headlines

Anonymous said...

Check out the "About Us" page on their site. They still claim a readership of 450,000. Wow. Haha!

Anonymous said...

It's a real abortion. Day one was hillarious - various editors introducing their sections. Memorably with the UAE editor not having her job title in the piece and the Sports editor having his picture and designation but not his name.

Stylistically - well its National/guardian lite isn't it. And City Times!!! What the hell is that!! It looks like a permenant obituary column. Which could be apt...

Anonymous said...

It's certainly very "American" but perhaps small town US rather than big, bad New york, chicago or LA.
I understand they paid a NYC based consultant quite a lot of money for it...
I for one find the white space, especially between the headline and the actually copy, disconcerting.
It's as if they forgot to insert the subhead!

Anonymous said...

At least they can spell hilarious and permanent. I hope.

Anonymous said...

This, from the September 8 edition:

---------------------------------------
Sharjah - The popular Sahara Centre in Sharjah was evacuated on Saturday night after the customer service desk received an anonymous phone call threatening that a bomb planted in the mall would go off in three hours.

On receiving the call around 10pm, the panicked customer service girl started screaming, causing the shoppers to run helter and skelter.

--------------------------------------

Priceless.

And getting an advertising agency to redesign a newspaper: Useless.

Anonymous said...

Some groundbreaking journalism in Gulf News today:

---------------
A leader par excellence

By Abdul Gaffar Hussain, Special to Gulf News
Published: September 09, 2008, 23:25

A strong humanitarian side should be the main distinguishing quality of every leader, especially in this age of globalisation when a human being cannot be isolated from one another, and one has to interact with everyone at all times.

Real leadership is not confined to geographical or regional boundaries, but it always seeks to encompass a wider horizon and tries to reach out to humanity in general.

It is always looking for solutions to alleviate the sufferings of human beings by trying to understand their concerns and by offering help, irrespective of their ethnic, national or geographical backgrounds.

A leader who has a humane attribute and respects human values of all peoples, near or far, is worthy of leadership and responsibility, and it does not matter where such a leader is from.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is an excellent role model in leadership. His qualities are admired and followed around the world.
-------------------

Anonymous said...

You cant polish a turd, period. I should know, I worked at Emirates Yesteryear/Business 7-11. On another note, did anyone catch the blatant design rip off, literally lifted from the pages of a prominent UK based Mens monthly, that appeared in No IQ a couple of weeks ago? Apparently the UK designer has been alerted, and is mighty pissed. Another groundbreaking piece of theft, from the student journos at ENG

Anonymous said...

sucking up to shaikh mohammed is rule number one for any newspaper editor in dubai.
i remember in 2001 when in a newspaper poll he was voted international sportsman of the century for his ability to sit on a horse for a long time ! and we are talking about this century not the last one.
has any paper ever written a proper article about dubai which deals with real issues like, corruption, citizenship and over development non a psychotic scale..

Anonymous said...

Bennett, Coleman

Advertisement
& Company (BCCL) will foray into a market outside India soon. In a few months, the Times Group plans to roll out a broadsheet in Dubai. As per speculations, this broadsheet will be called The Times of Dubai. This marks BCCL’s interest in expanding to markets outside India, having consolidated its position in various markets in the country.

The Times Group has been working towards the Dubai launch since early this year. In March 2008, it entered into a negotiation for a launch with a local player in Dubai. It is certain that BCCL will launch its broadsheet in Dubai through a joint venture with a local newspaper. “Right now, we are waiting for a confirmation on the deal from the other party and once that is through, we will be ready for the launch,” says a source familiar with the development.

The print industry in Dubai is bound by rigid rules and it may take a while for the deal to come through as there are clearances and permissions to be sought. According to the deal, the Times Group will seek printing and distribution aid from the local player. There will be an editorial team set up by the group in Dubai.

Anonymous said...

who cares

let's get back to itp bashing

Anonymous said...

How about 7 days -- the tabloid that seems to get off most lightly on this blog. On the day after 30 people died in bomb blasts in Delhi, its cover story is on ATM frauds...

Anonymous said...

anon at 08.19

probably the reason 7days is left alone is due to the fact most people like it. you don't tend to moan about things you like.

Anonymous said...

Do people like 7days? I'd be interested to hear what people think. Personally I think it's been off the boil for two years or so now. I can't think of a single good original story they've had in some time.

Thoughts?

Anonymous said...

7Days were right to run the ATM story over the bombing in India, as tragic as that story was, the bank fraud scared the shit out of most people here and was the most relevant story of the day. 7Days is a good little paper, and easy to digest. The near-legendary Letters page still manages to amuse and annoy in equal measures and to this day seems to by-pass the subs desk with gleeful abandon. No idea who the editor is or who actually works there anymore but it would be nice to see it regain some of its past verve. Saying all that, the ‘Backwards And In Heels’ column makes me want to stab my eyes out.

Anonymous said...

i agree with anon@ 14.10.
the ATM story has to take precidence in a newspaper that is community based over a bombing in india ,sad as it is.
i have no doubt there will be another bombing along shortly in this foresaken region for everyone to write about. Personally i think the media worldwide should stop reporting these terrorist attacks as it's the publicity they are after. The UK govt did it for some time with the IRA and forced them around the negotiating table which has worked wonderfully.

just an idea.....

Anonymous said...

7Days is hardly a local paper. It mostly runs wire stories. It's not really even a newspaper.

Anonymous said...

7 Days is utter rubbish. It could be a great tabloid, but misses the point completely. Then again, just check the staff and the moronic editor, and why whould you expect anything else.

Anonymous said...

here's a gripping bombing story:

http://www.spectator.co.uk/the-magazine/life-and-lives/1765356/high-life.thtml

Anonymous said...

anon @ 19.27.
'its not a local paper'
you utter fool. it is the distribution that depicts wether it is local ,not the content.

Anonymous said...

05.22

if 7days misses the point then in your infinite wisdom could you enlighten us as to what 'the point' is.? as you obviously know so much about it. per haps you work at the notional which speaks volumes.
7days is the best paper here by miles.
The notional cant even get kilie dates right even though they threw it on the front page.

Anonymous said...

The only thing likeable about 7 days is that its free.. and the letters page gives a platform to every whinging loser to have a say.

Anonymous said...

And this forum gives whinging losers like you somewhere to write. At least 7days is not government controlled like the others

Anonymous said...

Come on guys - both the National and 7 Days are rubbish. Stop bickering about which is worse - it's like choosing between vomit and excrement. A nasty job, and no one has to do it.

Anonymous said...

7days might not be government controlled, but let's not pretend that means it can do what it likes. Since it had its balls cut off a couple of years ago it's been very reluctant to rock the boat - The National is much more critical of the UAE. Look at their proper, in-depth reporting of things like the corruption probe and the recent ATM fiasco. No one else has bothered to do much more than run wire copy/straight news updates.

I also think it's true that the 7days letters pages are a shadow of their former, sometime gripping, self. The poster who said they're now full of whingeing losers is perhaps exagerating, but is not that far off the mark.

Anonymous said...

And this forum gives whinging losers like you somewhere to write. At least 7days is not government controlled like the others


Hahahahahaha


Hahahahaha



....



Hahahahahahaha.

Nice one.

Anonymous said...

'Personally i think the media worldwide should stop reporting these terrorist attacks'

Nice to see a real journalist posting here.

Does this plum work for ITP? Time Out?

Anonymous said...

7Days is not worth commenting on, period.

Anonymous said...

Does anybody here actually like media? Or is everything beneath your Olympian standards?

7 Days is a popular success, which can still crack a good story and still engages its readership. It's survived one of the most aggressive shut-down campaigns the UAE has seen in recent years, and kept its sense of humour.

The National is also doing a good job, although the "new ex-pat discovers fascinating point about Arab culture" features are getting a bit dull.

Seriously, if you don't like newspapers, go work in a bank.

Anonymous said...

has anyone seen this utter garbage Time Out are organising? The Inspire Awards?? Is it some elaborate joke or are they serious? Child of Bravery? Pictures of firefighters holding kids?

Anyone can nominate - may I suggest a campaign to nominate completely undeserving people in each catergory to show what an utter sham this is.

Also note that on the site they have a 'sponsorship' page complete with sales contacts.

What a total fucking disgrace.

http://www.inspiredubaiawards.ae/index.php

Anonymous said...

The problem with the National is that it may be critical, but it's too tedious to get to the bite - normally buried five paras down.

Well written in terms of sentence structure, not well written in terms of style or the ability to extract and highlight the real story and put it in the lede.

Frankly I prefer 7 days. At least it is what it pretends to be. A free rag.

Anonymous said...

15:48:

Don't work at the "notional", though it does speak volumes that the only way you can process criticism of 7Days is by accusing the critic of working for 7Days' competitor. It's like saying, "Oh, you don't like McDonald's? Perhaps you work at Burger King. That speaks volumes."

And don't think I implied that there is a point, so I'm not really sure what you're talking about, saying I - in my "infinite wisdom" - need to tell you what the point really is.

You're an awful speller and grammarian, by the way. Even worse than me, and I'm not even a journalist.

Anonymous said...

if you like 7Days then you deserve the media you get.

Anonymous said...

Why buy the Notional or GN or whatever - when you can get a copy of The Times every day? If it is important, it will be in it. If it is about Sheikh Zayed being the best/tallest at World Peace, it will not.

Refreshing, reaches the parts no local rag can, highly available, very fucking good.

Anonymous said...

anon @ 22.16

you clearly stated it misses the point and then you admit you have no idea what the point is. chump.
perhaps you do work in burger king...or at least should

Anonymous said...

'17 September, 2008 08:32'

Or, we could all download The New York Times and pretend we don't live and work in the UAE at all.

'16 September, 2008 10:25'

Agree. Especially bit about the National, I find it cringing to read those winsome pieces on Ravi's or Bani Yas (which, BTFW, was actually a hunting resort not a nature reserve) or day in the life of a taxi driver (I know what his day is like I spend most of my day in the taxi with him).

This Blog needs new management, it's stagnating like a beachside villa on The Palm.

Anonymous said...

This is why I read Arabian Business - it's just a little bit more original and in the know than The Notional or 7 Days...

Ashley snubs takeover talks for cocktails

by Claire Ferris-Lay and Andy Sambidge


Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley snubbed a crucial meeting with Arab investors on Tuesday night – choosing instead to spend the evening drinking Mojito cocktails at a Dubai beach bar.

Ashley had been due to hold talks with Dubai officials over a possible sale of the club, at the Mina A’Salam Ramadan Tent, in the Madinat Jumeirah Hotel.

The meeting was due to begin at 11pm, and followed the handing over of sale documents for the club earlier in the day, in which Ashley stated he wanted no less than $860 million to sell Newcastle FC – more than twice the sum he paid for it in 2007.

Sources close to the talks say an offer had been made to buy the club on Tuesday, of around $360 million. A follow-up meeting was planned to discuss the offer.

However, Ashley arrived at the Bahri Bar, just five minutes walk from the Ramadan Tent, at just before 10pm on Tuesday night and began ordering drinks.

He was joined at the bar by Newcastle United managing director Derek Llambias and director of football Dennis Wise.

While standing at the bar Ashley was overheard to tell Llambias that he wouldn’t go to the Ramadan Tent saying the earlier offer was an “insult”.

Wise and Llambias briefly left the bar on several occasions to answer calls on their mobile phones, while Ashley himself remained. The group left shortly after 1am on Wednesday morning.

Dubai officials had gathered at the nearby Al Majlis beachside tent, where Ashley had been invited to join them for talks over dinner.

Ashley and his party were due to be flying back to the UK on Thursday morning. However, it is understood they may leave Dubai on Wednesday, as the chances of any takeover fade.

Dubai investors told: Newcastle is yours for $860mn
EXCLUSIVE: Figure included in documents handed to Dubai ruler's representatives.

Anonymous said...

But The Times or IHT, which is also now printed in Dubai, means actually reading a newspaper and you dont expect any of these people to read anything, which is why they love rags like 7Days or The National.

Anonymous said...

10:35:
Here is what I actually said:

"Anonymous said...
7Days is hardly a local paper. It mostly runs wire stories. It's not really even a newspaper.

14 September, 2008 19:27"

Then someone said that distribution, not content, determines whether a paper is local.

Maybe so. The problem is that a free, locally distributed rag that doesn't have the nutsack to actually cover real local news the way a free, local newspaper should is not a newspaper at all. It's a collage, a digest, a compendium, but not a newspaper. Distribution is pretty much beside the point if the paper doesn't report news.

And where did I clearly state that 7Days misses the point?

The point of 7Days seems to be: Assemble a bunch of wire stories and retarded letters, sell some ads, call it a newspaper, and make some money by refusing to reinvest any of it in reporting. That's the point.

In other words, 7Days doesn't miss the point, but you did, and sadly, the joke's on all of us.

Anonymous said...

Assembling a bunch of wire stories and selling ads is the business model for newspapaers all over the world. All these people so wound up about what defines a newspaper and seeming to believe it has to involve some high level ethical integrity or Woodward and Bernstein journalistic philosophy are living in a dream. Newspapaers are just that: news printed on paper. From complete crap to all the news that's fit to print, thay are all newspapers. Where 7 Days fits on the scale is pretty obvious but it's still a newspaper - a free, local, lowest common demonitator rag. It's the most amusing of the lot during a quick lunch or coffee break.

Anonymous said...

please do not say anything negative about Dubai. The place, just like its neighbors, treats everyone equally; respects human rights; especially workers' and women's; the justice system is the envy of the world; there is total and complete freedom of press, including internet; the business environment is completely transparent; workforce is hired based on merit and not on nationality; and no they are not confused about whether to use american or british spellings, the world trade center is just one example; pays the really meager amount to laborers on time...so please do not criticize the year round sunshine emirate.

Anonymous said...

@18.38... Sound's like part of an ITP job ad I once mistakenly applied to... LOL

Anonymous said...

The larger question probably wants to get at why Dubai was able to make itself untouchable. How the fuck did that happen? Good marketing story. Y'all should know, probably.

Anonymous said...

@21:04...lol!! the whole region is a joke, a very sad joke.