Posts by Russell Brown
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Hard News: Tired and emotional, for reals, in reply to Andre Alessi,
Superman, rather, since journos aren’t technically human. (Bonus! Modern Clark Kent is a “social issues” reporter who lives in a dilapidated apartment block.)
I actually always was a Superman fan. Can't say whether Clark's journalism thing was a part of the appeal though.
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Hard News: Tired and emotional, for reals, in reply to Jdrinnan,
Not pointing any fingers …PA more open than a lot of blog comment
As I said, I tend to avoid the political blogs these days. I rely on Bryce to read them for me ...
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Hard News: Tired and emotional, for reals, in reply to Michael Hogan,
Vanity Fair article on Obama is superb, thanks Russell. I still argue to friends and colleagues that the journalism (political and otherwise) in VF is routinely superb, despite the typical American obsession with celebs.
I subscribe to two magazines: Vanity Fair and the New Yorker. I find American newspapers fairly pompous, but their best magazines are just ... the best magazines. Granted, there is the odd disappointing issue of VF.
I first read The New Yorker when I was minding my ex-girlfriend's flat in Paris in 1987. Reading its vast two-part story on the New York art scene was a revelation with respect to what magazines could do and be.
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Hard News: Tired and emotional, for reals, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
ETA: Before anyone points this out, yes… I’ve long expressed my strongly held opinion that the revolving door between newsrooms and political/corporate PR needs a padlock put on it sooner rather than later. (It would also be fair to say it’s one of many subjects Russell, Damian and I agree to disagree on.)
But Edwards wasn't even in a PR job. He worked in a Parliamentary office for six months in 2001. The amusing thing, of course, is that Trevor Mallard was (groan) last year attacking him for allegedly being in bed with the forces of the right.
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Hard News: Tired and emotional, for reals, in reply to Kumara Republic,
Fran O’s columns have an inverse bell curve of quality – she either writes decent investigative stuff, or she writes complete bollocks, with not much in the middle ground.
She has excellent contacts and at her best can really cut to the quick of an issue. And some days, yeah, she's not so good.
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Hard News: Tired and emotional, for reals, in reply to Jdrinnan,
At the risk of branding myself a crawler – Good on the Herald – allowing criticism of one of its own writers – long may a robust debate continue.
Fair enough. I still think it was completely out of order for Tim to go and hype it on the basis of one of his own writers being "put in his place". That's just shitty, as is Fran attacking Bryce Edwards on the Herald site.
There is too much cross media ownership in New zealand for media to drift into camps.
Pardon? Wasn't there some pretty obvious placing of people either inside or outside the tent in John Armstrong's column? Didn't he insult Edwards and Campbell's professionalism and slate them as "parasites"? Isn't Fran carrying that on as we speak?
I honestly don't think Edwards said what Fran (and presumably John) thinks he said.
Bloggers could learn from the approach.
Ahem. Bloggers correct each others' homework every day of the week. The sensible ones don't get nasty about it.
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Anyway, I thought about replying to Fran’s comment on the the Herald site, but it’s just getting unpleasant now. And I think it's being poorly handled by their editors.
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Hard News: Tired and emotional, for reals, in reply to Jen,
Yes – journalists are just like everyone else, only better.
We actually have super-powers. They make up for the crappy pay and poor future job prospects.
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Hard News: Tired and emotional, for reals, in reply to Gareth Ward,
Fran O’Sullivan now having at go at Bryce Edwards in the Herald comments on his latest roundup. Quite the little public spat they’ve all got going on, isn’t it…
This is the Edwards column that has Fran and John so up in arms:. Excerpt:
There was a lot build-up and reporting from the APEC meeting in Vladivostok, but nothing much actually seemed to happen. There are only so many ways you can work 'Pussy Riot' into a story about trade negotiations. The alternatives seem to be writing about: your hotel, waiting three hours to glimpse Putin, the buffet, bridges or interviewing your laptop about why nothing is happening. One common theme seemed to be how trade deals are being used by both the US and China to gain dominance over each other. Gordon Campbell, who has described most of the New Zealand media reporting of APEC as 'indistinguishable from a DPMC press handout', had probably the best analysis of the summit's real significance and how the Trans Pacific Partnership is where the real deals are being done - see: On APEC, and its significance for the TPP talks.
Fran's snark today, the first comment under Edwards' column:
Bryce says:: I would also like to say categorically that I was not accusing the press gallery reporters at APEC of being lazy (interviewing your typewriter/ keyboard/ laptop is often shorthand for this - but this is not what I meant).
Bryce: Interviewing your typewriter - or laptop as you said last week - is shorthand for a journalist making things up.
Being lazy is just one component of this. It was unfair and untrue.
He clearly didn't accuse Armstrong or anyone else of making things up. He's alluding to the frustrations of covering these events. I think his column today more than makes up for any offence he may have caused. Some people need to get a grip.
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Hard News: Tired and emotional, for reals, in reply to Peter Calder,
The idea that a political correspondent of John’s stature would say of Edwards “Ooooh, you’re naughty, I’m going to tell Mr Key on you” seems to me a little far-fetched even if your starting point is that Armstrong is on the payroll of the PM’s media team.
Like I said, it seemed odd. But a column in which he described Edwards and his ilk as "parasites" and made an issue of Edwards having briefly worked for the Aliiance in Parliament more than a decade ago, it seemed a stretch to read it as a compliment.