This is Benjamin
Archive for October, 2009
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In defence of attacks on Jan Moir
October 24th, 2009 | benjamin
FleetStreetBlues is an irreplaceable resource for freelance/unemployed journalists and writers in the UK.
Which is why I found its defence of Jan Moir’s Stephen Gately column bizarre.
In her piece, Moir revels in her completely unconcealed disgust at sex between two or more men.
FSB suggests that, in fact, such an interpretation of the piece might be confined to ‘university-educated, liberal-leaning journalists’ and therefore implies that the UK public at large endorses Moir’s perspective.
This underwrites the basis of the post, as far I can understand it. FSB seems to be suggesting that because The Daily Mail – the newspaper which published the column – represents and indulges the views of a large numbers of people in the UK, we should think twice before criticising the hateful things that it says:
The Daily Mail is a great paper, because its every article is written single-mindedly for the benefit of its readers. Not its journalists.
A perverse, incomprehensible, and irrelevant argument.
BOYZONE 4EVA!
A god-given right?
October 14th, 2009 | benjamin
At the moment I’m blogging and publishing articles on a number of established news and journal websites such as ‘A god-given right?‘ on The Razor. I will collect these works here and continue to publish odd things here (and there).
ican’tfuckingbelieveit2.0
October 1st, 2009 | benjamin
Sometimes distance sharpens the lens. But the extent to which the Australian media have been captured by the interests of Kraft, the american multinational, is astounding, and mirth-making.
This was the lead story on all Fairfax news websites this morning, ahead of the Sumatran earthquake which killed thousands.
Applying tactics that they first polished with their ‘what kind of vegemite eater are you?’ campaign (or something equally inane), Kraft have now convinced the media that the naming competition for one of their products is worth reporting. The true genius lies, however, in the so-called ‘scandal’ around the name that was chosen as a consequence of the competition. This clever manoeuvre allows those editors with some residual pride and professionalism to report on the promotion without being seen to rely on press releases and PR guff from Kraft.
With cajoling from Kraft marketing, the amount of chatter around the promotion has reached a critical mass, so that journalists can consult the public sphere in order to produce the reports, rather than rely on press releases from Kraft.
The cynical geniuses at Kraft have even gone so far as to affect shock at what has transpired, as though the ‘scandal’ were somehow against their interests, as though this were a news event that transcends them.
These so-called professionals are (wilfully?) oblivious to the role they play in promoting Kraft’s products, regardless of whether we like the facile name for their facile product.