Come To Britain And Travel In Style.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3271045/Pictured-50-000-luxury-stretch-Hummer-used-ferry-asylum-seekers-London-Manchester-village-complained-deluged.html

Why the need to transport seven young African males, at a cost of £3,000, all the way from London to Manchester, in such luxurious transport?

[retrocop]

From what I am reading on this OP it would seem that some ABers must spend half their life complaining to the Press Council.........or do they?

[retrocop]

Must leave this OP now. Got a hospital appointment at 1550.
Now let me see. I have done 30years loyal service to Queen and Country. Paid all my taxes and N.I. Never claimed a benefit. Blimey those hospital car park charges are a bit steep. £10 for two hours. I know. I worked for the Home Office all those years. Perhaps a stretched limo could be ordered.
No dream on retro. Get on the 293 like every other sap.

[THECORBYLOON]

RETROCOP you said it was a DIRECT QUOTE and it clearly was not. If for example a WPC who had received a gallantry award was described as 'big breasted and blonde' by newspapers, would you have used that description when making us aware of the award?

It is journalism but it is lazy journalism as it adds nothing of relevance.

[Togo]

Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is Public Relations..
George Orwell.

[anotheoldgit]

THECORBYLOON

/// You are free to pick and choose what information you select but you could easily have said 'seven folk' rather than 'seven young African males' after all, does their age and sex matter? ///

Thank goodness for that, at least I have now been given consent to be free to pick and chose what information i select to include in my posts.

In this instance I and all the news outlets chose to put what the pub landlord said, just because they happened to be Africans shouldn't mean they can't be mentioned.

To use your comparison "had those seven folk been Welsh" and I had reported that, would I have still been criticised for daring to mention where they came from? I think not somehow.

[sp1814]

Togo

Unfortunately now that has been flipped on its head.

Approximately 70% of what we read in newspapers today is sourced from PR companies.

Seriously.

[anotheoldgit]

retrocop

/// Must leave this OP now. Got a hospital appointment at 1550. ///

Hope everything goes all right for you, best of luck.

[sp1814]

AOG

I concur with naomi24's post earlier:

[i]Good grief! As far as I can tell it’s been established that this mode of transport was provided at no extra cost to the taxpayer, but once again we’re into petulant spats. What on earth are you all arguing about? Get over yourselves for goodness sake! It’s tedious![i]

Well said that woman!!!

[anotheoldgit]

THECORBYLOON

/// RETROCOP you said it was a DIRECT QUOTE and it clearly was not. If for example a WPC who had received a gallantry award was described as 'big breasted and blonde' by newspapers, would you have used that description when making us aware of the award? ///

You are being rather silly now, what newspaper would print such a thing? And it would be totally sexiest if they did, but describing a person as African is not being disrespectful or even racist.

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

/// Well said that woman!!! ///

I would have said Lady, but go on that's perhaps me.

[THECORBYLOON]

If a woman is blonde and has large breasts, is it not factually correct to describe her as being blonde and big breasted?

Why do you say it is totally sexist, is it because it is not relevant?

[Togo]

http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/03/15/over-half-your-news-is-spin/
sp did you by any chance source your misleading little snippet from this article which was top of the list. Did you fail to realise it was referring to the Australian press, and that the 70% figure was attributed to The Telegraph and the police sources on news releases.

[anotheoldgit]

THECORBYLOON

/// If a woman is blonde and has large breasts, is it not factually correct to describe her as being blonde and big breasted? ///

I will leave it to the lady ABers to answer you on that one.

[Togo]

Or indeed if a number of people are male, black, Africans, is it not factually correct to describe them so. Or can facts be deemed to be relevant only if they suit our purpose.

[naomi24]

As my dad used to say, "You can call me anything you like as long as you don't call me too late for my dinner". Thank you SP. :o)

[andy-hughes]

Togo - // Or indeed if a number of people are male, black, Africans, is it not factually correct to describe them so. //

It is - but as I have opined before, context is everything.

If you were working up an election speech for Boris Johsnon, would you have him say - "I am something of a philanderer, I have scruffy hair, I sound like a posh boy, and a lot of people think I'm an idiot ..."

All of those things are fact, but the context is everything.

Just because something is a fact does not automatically make it appropriate, and that is where journalists are experienced at slanting something to read a certain way - this OP link being a prime example - and the thread itself which has demonstrated the effect.

[anotheoldgit]

/// "I am something of a philanderer, I have scruffy hair, I sound like a posh boy, and a lot of people think I'm an idiot ..." ///

/// All of those things are fact, but the context is everything. ///

How can anyone who makes such accusations, class himself an impartial moderator?

[fiction-factory]

Can we just call a truce for 24 hours please as it's detracting from the thread- unless that's the objective

[andy-hughes]

AOG - //Question Author

/// "I am something of a philanderer, I have scruffy hair, I sound like a posh boy, and a lot of people think I'm an idiot ..." ///

/// All of those things are fact, but the context is everything. ///

How can anyone who makes such accusations, class himself an impartial moderator? //

Do you never give up looking for conflict?

I did not 'make such accusations' - I simply created an extreme example to make a point - which you would understand if you spent less time trying to pick a fight, and more time reading the post as it stands.

It's a supreme irony that my post was about seeing things in context - something you seem unable to do when reading anything I write.

Please let's not go off onto another fight shall we? It's tea time, I'm off home, let's let it lie and see what tomorrow brings.

[andy-hughes]

fiction-factory - //Can we just call a truce for 24 hours please as it's detracting from the thread- unless that's the objective //

We cross-posted, but I entirely agree!