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Tuesday, 7th October 2008

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Janey Godley - Why news is still black and and white and read all over



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Published Date: 21 April 2008
'I WRITE a column for The Scotsman," I explained to a nice man on my flight over to New Zealand yesterday. He asked me what I did for a living and, because he was dressed in a nice suit, I chose to forget for a moment that I was a comedian and playwright and opted for what I perceived as the more impressive part of my employment. I told him I was a weekly columnist for a respected newspaper.
"Newspapers are dying; everyone reads their news on the web," he smugly stated. "I own a company that will deliver all the words straight to your laptop and phone, therefore eliminating paper editions completely. What will you do then?"

"Roll up a...



The full article contains 1109 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 20 April 2008 7:46 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Janey Godley
 
1

zeno,

www.thinkhumanism.com 21/04/2008 08:25:06
Abi looked perplexed. "But that doesn't make sense," she replied. "You can't fit many mansions inside a house. So it really must be Munchkins."

A very perceptive youngster. Keep encouraging her to think for herself.
2

gus1940,

Edinburgh 21/04/2008 09:13:58
What is the point of this woman's column other than to publicise herself?

The space it occupies would be better filled by news or informed unbiased comment thereon.

Something I have noticed looking on other papers' on-line sites is the number of stories covered (including many Scottish ones) which never appear in The Scotsman.

After all, the main point of a serious paper which purports to be an organ of record (at leat it use to be) is to report news - not to entertain.
3

Martyn Sadler,

London 21/04/2008 12:03:31
Judging from gus 1940's last sentence, he or she seems to be complaining that Janey's columns are entertaining; an odd complaint.

I always thought the object of newspapers' columnists was to stir up debate - for example on religion, life coaching or the 'death' of newspapers - the subjects of Janey's last three columns. Stirring up debate is something which her columns visibly succeed in doing.

In this time of 24-hour instant news channels, surely print newspapers with deadlines perhaps 12 hours before publication can't report 'new' news, so their nature has changed and has to change? Modern print newspapers surely report on current topics rather than report up-to-the-minute news headlines. Janey, in stirring up debate on a wide range of topics, is stimulating and stirring newspaper readers - pro or con - as all good 'name' columnists have traditionally done. And this seems a timely column.

 

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