The Times claims another work blogger scalp. Nightjack this time. Well I hope it makes the editorial team and their lawyers proud and I hope their celebratory drinkies bloody well choke them.
The Times in particular has a history of outing anonymous bloggers for no good reason. The most famous of which was "Girl with a one track mind". She's still going, bless her, but it was touch and go for a while. That reminds me, must add her to the sidebar again.
It says a lot about journalistic 'ethics' if the Times thinks it can publish confidential details of people's lives against their express wishes.
This is not to say that certain bloggers are cast from the same odious mould, but for the most part, a certain etiquette is observed regarding anonymity. You don't slag people off repeatedly and indiscriminately, or make oblique threats against their families, and your privacy is usually respected. Work bloggers especially, who often face summary dismissal for their off duty musings. I'm sure my ex employers would still like to nail my figurative arse to the wall for some of the things I've written about them; even if what I wrote was an accurate representation of my one time working life and practices. Despite the necessary camouflage of names, times and places. Too late for that now. Is bag of the out cat the (Flat pack axiom, some self assembly required).
Politicians however, are exempted from this rule if caught with both trotters in the public feeding trough. Corruption in all it's subtle guises is also fair game for bloggers. Fisking, or deconstructing arguments point by point is likewise acceptable. Publishing someone's real name against their wishes for no better reason than you can is most certainly not.
In closing I will express only one wish; may the UK Times get leprosy in it's circulation and find it's advertising revenue dropping off.
An authentic voice has been lost for no good reason. Such a loss diminishes us all.
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2 days ago
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Sadly there are some journo's with little or no moral compass. I write a fairly boring (to some) blog and I am extremely careful when it comes to work. I tend to keep quiet about work, mainly because of confidentiality of patients but also because my employer would take the easy option: suspension and then the sack. I could potentially lose my nurse registration as well.
Re your flatpack: you've outed bagpuss. He was gay? Surely this should be the main story on the BBC.
wv. steria, just missing the hys.
Just had a missive from someone purporting to be from the FT. The person in question sent me an e-mail. the text of which read;
"I am doing a bit of prelim research on why so many Africans become traffic wardens for an FT article. would you be able to have a chat?"
I'm out of the game, so why ask me? Asking the officers in question or the particular Council HR department might be a better bet.
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