Press Gazette - Latest Comments in Grey Cardigan: October column

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

greycardigan — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:12:57 -0000

From Holdthefrontpage:

The election for editor of the National Union of Journalists' magazine turned bitter today with one of the candidates accused of being part of a hard-left plot to take over the union.

Freelance journalist Mark Watts circulated an email to 19,000 NUJ members naming rival candidate Richard Simcox as a member of a faction calling itself "NUJ Left."

Mr Watts claimed the faction was using the election for editor of Journalist magazine as part of a bid to take control of the union's ruling national executive.

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

Gatsby — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:08:36 -0000

I am well aware of all of that.

The question I asked you is: was the telegram sent?

Are you going to use your journalisatic skills to find out?

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

greycardigan — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:09:31 -0000

From Jon Slattery's blog: An emergency motion was passed at the 1986 NUJ ADM stating that the union should send a “telegram of condolence “ to Gaddafi the day after Libya was bombed by US planes based in Britain. The story went out on PA and caused a storm in the national press and within the union. It led to 96 NUJ members resigning – including Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie. Not sure if a telegram was ever sent but the damage was done.

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

Sam Spade — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:52:39 -0000

Nice thought Grey, the suits selling newspapers to local people who want to run them.

But they'd rather close them anyway.

Firstly out of spite, and also as a way to "minimise the threat to the core revenue stream."

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

sideline watcher, thank god — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:25:42 -0000

Don't know about the Col Gadaffi telegram, but I did see a rather large NUJ banner at a "unite against fascism" rally in Manchester at the weekend (a misnomer if ever there was one). The bloody TUC wouldn't even take part with these loons because they're so far to the left that they make infra red look like ultra violet. But the NUJ was there. What the hell has that got to do with saving journalism? I ask the question rhetorically, because this ridiculous obsession with the far-left is part of the reason I left the NUJ in the first place!

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

Gatsby — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:31:30 -0000

Ah, the old "Colonel Gaddafi telegram" chestnut. Wondered when you would get round to it. Was such a message ever sent by the NUJ?
I know that behind the Grey Cardigan persona there is a former newspaper journalist. So, GC, why don't you answer the question once and for all: Gaddaffi Telegram: Fact or Fiction? (You do still know how to do journalism, don't you?)

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

Donnacha DeLong — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:43:01 -0000

Eh, we're working on it -
http://jonslattery.blogspot...
http://jonslattery.blogspot...
, we just haven't yet come up with easy answers (like most of the bosses).

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

greycardigan — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:10:24 -0000

OK you Trots, so here’s what you should be doing instead of whining around the braziers or plotting a pointless sit-in.

Whenever a well-established, financially-viable newspaper is closed down by the panicking corporate suits – and Long Eaton springs to mind - you need to get in there with a sensible business plan based on sensible costs and a sensible margin. Rally the local businesses; seek out local investors with a few bob to spend (every town has them, even in these difficult times); lean on the local council and the regional quangos; put together a local management team backed up by national expertise (you do still know how to do journalism, don’t you?).

The NUJ should create a template for a sensible and viable newspaper business that could be applied wherever the need or opportunity arises. We should be snatching these ‘doomed’ titles back from the greedy bastards who don’t understand or care about our craft and its importance to the community. Fuck them – if they don’t want them, we’ll have them.

Of course, if that’s too challenging, you could always just write another condolence note to Colonel Gaddafi…

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

blogboy — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:28:53 -0000

Great, the stuff I read. He does sound like a loon for suggesting a work in, which is almost as pointless as paying subs to the NUJ. But there you go...

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

Donnacha DeLong — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:04:20 -0000

The two words were "Rudolf" and "Rocker". The rest is just decoration ;-)

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

John Nevill — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:37:40 -0000

Two words? I counted at least 20, but then it's always difficult keeping to a word count when the subject is so interesting.

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

ex_member — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:31:24 -0000

This kind of argument goes on - and round and around in circles - at REAL NUJ chapel meetings, believe it or not!

I know, I used to go to them...

And now the union threatens strike action, works to rule then goes back to normal for the same as what was originally offered by the management.

Of course, there are pay freezes now, so not even an annual pay round to respond to.

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

eveningeditor — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:38:36 -0000

Fantastically funny. And that was just the third piece! The first on ANOTHER editorial change is so, so true, and it does us good to laff sometimes. The second on the chat with the newspaper sales director is incredibly accurate and, again, side-splitting in that it's true. In fairness, the newspaper sales people on the paper I work for are aware of the affects of cuts, but the number of times editors have to bang directors' heads together with the news that such cuts contribute to a shrinking sale... God give us strength! Thanks, Grey, for telling it like it is with that Monty Python needle of hilarity. You keep me sane. Just. (PS: Dominic... have you thought of producing a book for Christmas with the entire collection of Grey? Might raise a few funds for your business and an extra few quid for the freelance concerned...)

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

Donnacha DeLong — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:12:16 -0000

Two words - Rudolf Rocker (start here: http://www.thejournalist.or..., then here: http://www.marxists.org/ref... and, ultimately, here: http://books.google.co.uk/b... ). Try some reading and then come back when you know something about the topic.

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

Adam Tinworth — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:07:46 -0000

Thanks! I've enjoyed it immensely!

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

Rob Ray — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:32:13 -0000

Again... record... change...

Anyway we could do this all night in some sort of horrifying feedback loop, but I'm off work now so er, have fun.

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

Sam Spade — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:16:50 -0000

I only went to one NUJ meeting.
It was in the upstairs room above a seedy pub in the late-80s and was attended almost entirely by angry, bearded young men from the local BBC radio newsroom.
They were very keen on dreaming up new ways to bring the Corporation crashing down, and also with showing solidarity with Sinn Fein, whose voice had been banned from the airwaves,
We voted to send a letter to the landlord demanding he changed the name of the pub we were in from the George & Dragon to "The Neslon Mandela" to raise awareness in the town.*
I realised quite quickly I wasn't going to fit in and never went back.
*May not be completely true but based on a true story.

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

Adam Tinworth — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:07:57 -0000

Thank you for making my point so beautifully and eloquently.…

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

Rob Ray — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:01:02 -0000

Ah yes, the “oh you have not sense of humour” defence, so wittily used against feminists, trades unionists and anyone else who calls right wing pundits on their bad behaviour. Change the record...

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

Adam Tinworth — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:32:18 -0000

Free speech? I believe that allows taking the mickey out of people who
can't take a joke, too! Hurrah!

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

Rob Ray — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:36:10 -0000

There are two separate definitions in the dictionary. You are arguing against anarchy (ie. chaos), which is not the same thing as anarchism (order without government). The latter has about 150 years of theory behind it, a number of different functional models (eg. anarcho-syndicalism, which is a form of trade unionism emphasising localised mass organisation rather than top-down management) and as I say, thousands of articles, books etc, many available online.

Hence my reply, blithely dismissing donnachadelong's comment "oh anarchism doesn't work" comes across as pretty argumentative if you're aware of the its massively influential history, the massive range of theories within it etc etc. It'd be like saying "oh the free market doesn't work," which I would argue, but I'd expect a challenge or two no?

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

Rob Ray — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:23:10 -0000

Not at all, happy to do it.

Thing is, it appears you appear to have no problem with lefties being called "fucking loons" but if the writer of this nasty little piece is as a result called a coward (which was the worst thing I said), wrong or ignorant you immediately leap on it as evidence of abominable behaviour?

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

John Nevill — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:05:43 -0000

I wasn't aware I was starting a argument but for the record the dictionary describes anarchy as an absence of government in a society; disorder; political or social confusion. Sounds exactly like my explanation, stereotypes notwithstanding.

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

tungstentip — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:46:51 -0000

Not just people getting annoyed Rob - but what they have written. People like you. P.s Thanks for patronising me.

Re: Grey Cardigan: October column

Rob Ray — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:44:15 -0000

Wow people getting annoyed about having their union slagged off by a do-nothing whinger is sufficient to have you cancelling your membership? What a trooper.