UK Journalism

  • GB News eagerly overtakes its competition

    GB News regularly beats published viewing figure stats for other news channels because it has a finer focus on matters that relate specifically to a UK-based audience. This is rare right now because international events have taken editors off onto tangents that often don’t end well.

    It’s the BBC – not GB News – that’s in trouble for mis-editing a speech by President Trump. Granted, although GB News would have no intention to do so, it has no motive, either. It’s widely believed that BBC production staff in particular have xenophobic and aggravating attitudes.

    That a small-time news channel could quickly expand to rollout material of interest to tens of thousands of viewers here is indicative of what Journalist’s in London had been saying for a long time. As they hacked away, they noticed a gap forming because of policy changes.

    The energy to publish online in particular drives an upward trend for job seekers. And those digitising their outlets are finding an increased reach defying projections that initially warned against reliance on Internet technology. As the market sustains itself, similar outlets to GB News will also prove their worth.

  • The Observer should back its own journalism first

    The Observer has sided with the Prime Minister in a no-contest race. Noble of it. I’m sure he doesn’t need the support. He might have appreciated the answers to a blip with Mandelson. This would have improved his leadership standing in a lot more ways.

    This is a classic example of socialism masquerading as social Journalism. It takes the electoral cycle as its only impetus, and brings fresh faces to bear on a tired incumbent. It assumes Starmer can’t know anymore because of years in the job, and junior positions must be easier.

    It’s a hash, not an opinion, and cloaked in our terms and frequent frames of reference. People write like this to turn us red, not keep us black. They like it their way. This isn’t the writing that we need in national titles for public consumption. It’s more depth, not less scrutiny, that helps in these matters.

  • Revealed: London’s shady streets

    The ‘revealed’ nature of journalism in London has often meant men and women have been put on the front lines of prostitution on the streets in order to find out a story.

    It’s because there’s a branch of investigation that legitimately looks for prostitution at its intersection with common, everyday life and it’s a question of who it might come up with as a query or problem.

    It’s not an everyday sort of inquiry if someone needs to find out a particular prostitute and work out who it was they slept with the night before. It involves walking around in the early hours and later at night and talking to people about sexual activity.

    The names of “top” London prostitutes
    The names of “top” London prostitutes recorded by the Royal Courts of Justice before 2010.

    It’s asked for because some employers, for example, are concerned about the appearance of a small number of people at random and the distracted attitude of one of their key members of staff.

    It’s not often that this has to take place, but it’s requested in a lot of different contexts and so it’s a full-time job for some people in London to have to undertake.

    The nature of journalism is not to tell people yes or no and it only involves getting an answer from somebody who’s in a position to decide for everybody else.

    But it’s obvious that some types of activity are nefarious and the context and consequences are understood and therefore there’s a story that needs to be uncovered.

  • Caught: PR intruder

    In a stunning exclusive for Conservative News Site, a “Top Level” criminal so-called – alleged of acting as a PR intruder in a number of larger cities in the UK – has now been spotted in Reading, Berkshire.

    A suspect
    A suspect alleged of intruding on PR operations, management teams, and initiatives in the UK.

    He’s alleged to cause disruption to the UK economy in the billions and is wanted by many law enforcement bodies, agencies, and forces across the entirety of the UK.

    Making mischief

    His aims are usually physical and he seeks to derive material benefit from his crimes.

    He’s a despotic force in UK Journalism and organises “Foreign Interference” scams in large national news publishing titles.

    He’s alleged to have assaulted serving Army personnel and has been witnessed assaulting nursing staff in public and private hospitals.

    His crimes are so rampant that many members of the UK public are under litigation orders for having complicity in continuing his acts.

  • Caught: UK press criminal

    In an exclusive for Conservative News Site, a prolific paedophile also alleged of Journalistic interference in the reporting of the Conservative party in UK-based national titles has now been spotted.

    A suspect alleged of sexual crimes seen here in a central Reading location.

    He’s alleged to act as the sole source of information for The Times, as well as for other publications, making private rendezvous in overseas States to meet for discussions.

  • The UK media routinely sabotages us

    The experience of most people in this country is now typified by the results of deep-seated cynicism.

    In our terms, this is the Journalism we’ve got used to.

    I’ve known potential A-level students turned away from Sixth Form because their form of politics isn’t liked anymore.

    I’ve known job applicants laughed at for saying they’re a conservative because the newspaper that decides for them has moved on.

    This country is populated by people betrayed by the greedy, and the negligent.

    These are the sorts that call themselves Journalists, and yet only have a Land Rover to show for it.

    The homogenous nature of Politics is designed to betray us. It helps Labour for this to be the case.

  • Does Putin understand the free world? Probably not

    The world Putin lives in is largely of his own making. He doesn’t get disagreement like we do.

    He doesn’t see dissent like we see it everyday. His is a perfectly ordered system of economics and policy airbrushed for the Russian people.

    His recent statements, then, that gave rise to the idea of problems of censorship in the West are laughable in comparison.

    He doesn’t note that we draw a line at content that’s not wanted for obvious, moral reasons.

    He doesn’t recognise that Russian media aims to undermine if not destroy our own.

    He doesn’t highlight his own approach to foreign affairs or international relations and how it stifles free speech.

    This is the perfect art of a leader unencumbered by democracy or the forces of reason or change. We benefit, while the Russian people and its state suffer in silent rancour and undeterred pessimism.

  • Free Speech Union memberships surge

    In a victory for freedom of speech campaigners, the Free Speech Union, led by journalist Toby Young, has seen its membership increase to over 20,000 since July this year.

  • Long Report: What is journalism?

    Citizen journalism is a relatively new term but it’s already died a death in the UK. It just doesn’t ring true we know how to do it without training or a proper education. It doesn’t follow in the line of casual arts. The truth is hard to grasp, and even harder to get out there.

    It’s a lifestyle experienced by the religious, and increasingly politicians. The point is also proved in journalism itself where facts go nowhere. The practice of typing out a response or tapping out an ‘original’ story is the privilege of those released to do it.

    It’s a practice that’s got to be professional. In the UK we don’t value this often enough. In fact, festering WhatsApp groups and pulp-ridden Facebook pages pollute our screens as we search or scroll for something better. We don’t need the junk anymore.

    A newer way

    The innovations are happening at a pace but it’s rarely noticed. The changes in our landscape are huge and have not caused an earthquake in public opinion. They should because we’ve moved on hugely since the past, when news was fact and not a truth.

    There are able pundits attempting to navigate the broken courses of Parliament or break the solid ice of Whitehall. They do a good job and people know more. Yet more know less because they opt for unofficial views of rumour mongers and amateur jingoists.

    The general feeling is we haven’t turned a corner in the 21st century because we’ve failed to take our eyes off the past. It’s bleak back there, and irrelevant. There’s so much that’s new – and exciting – today there’s no point in re-reading old lines and repeating old statements.

    Realities

    The MP’s making waves are different people. They have different backgrounds, and stories. They come from the same places but a lot’s happened since. They’re as familiar as you and I, but a changing landscape demands moving on.

    The news journalism culture we’ve got hasn’t necessarily all moved at the same pace. The newer outlets are juggernauts. They appeal distinctively and repeat stories that matter. Their views don’t always hold water but they make amends where told to.

    It’s a new media for a new generation. It anchors what we say to each other in private with a dose of reality. It’s not all there is to say but it’s a start and, of course, we’re able to finish off the conversation. There’s no shortage of opinions at home, or elsewhere.

  • Long Report: Journalism in a spyglass

    The so-called downfall of a top journalist is hardly good news. It doesn’t bode well that people fail at all. It certainly isn’t positive if a person of prominence does so too.

    It doesn’t mean we’re at fault as a society. It means things went wrong because of actions that were taken by individuals acting on their own beliefs and by their own design. This is the way bad choices are made and how scandals unfold.

    It can be difficult to track these things. There are journalists who spend heaps of time looking at those who are heading down a wrong path. It’s a twisting and winding journey they make and it has so many avenues at times it can go cold.

    All investigation is hard

    The way to go about tracking a person’s downward spiral is to begin with who they are to start with. It builds an appreciation of the height they are falling from. It also lays a groundwork for contemplation of what they are trying to do and why.

    It’s not as if life is tough up there. There are perks to all jobs and jobs in media have more than others. It’s a fine life so to speak for those who want to work at it and do it well. The hard graft is seen by the public and there’s time for enjoying the fruits of labour later.

    I’ve known of journalists who pull over thirty hours of work without a break and they barely scratch the surface of their story. It takes many more sessions than a first breaking in effort to bring out the real story behind a crass scandal breaking in a public person’s life.

    Due to the nature of the high life it takes a journalist into corridors of power they’ve never seen – and likely won’t see again. They’ll meet people they’ve never heard of and encounter crimes they can’t report because it’s not their story or it’s too difficult to extricate.

    The job never ends

    The life of a journalist like this is not easy to pin down. There are few examples of competent individuals because of the hours, the messes that encounters create, and the travelling involved too.

    It’s not psychologically burdensome but physically demanding. It puts enormous pressure on physicality. It’s an encounter a few have likened to their experiences in military combat. It can reach a level of tension that’s difficult to experience elsewhere.

    The truth is the job is never over. There’s always another scandal breaking or another person making their worst decision yet. It’s a career that builds on itself too because successes bring more skills and techniques to employ to catch and pin down harder-to-get targets.

    A culture it creates

    The good aspect of investigative work is it inspires others. There are chances to stop a scandal in its tracks. It may be possible to use a technicality in an employee’s contract to terminate it. It’s also possible to phone in the police to discuss a person’s behaviour.

    It creates a culture of dependence on good work. It also inculcates a way of seeing life through the lens of a work ethic. The social dynamic is hardly rewarding to those who want real information. The practical results are gained by curiosity in a diligent targeting at truth.

    The progress journalists make is felt in the rewards of having a story published or findings printed. It builds a more complete picture that brings interest. We feel we learn more about place, and ourselves, because we’re looking closer with a more analytical eye.

    The putt-offs on television with lighthearted jokes is beside the point of what it’s like to stare into darkness. A person intent on crime creates harm and causes pain. They make sure others suffer. There’s rarely a scandal that doesn’t involve a victim and it’s not always easy to get over.

  • Exclusive: News media runner

    In an exclusive for ConservativeNewsSite.com, a “Runner” for a news media network has been located. The suspect is alleged to harass potential subjects for his stories.

    His activities have also resulted in altercations in public places according to reports.

  • Journalism in focus: Assange’s trial

    The case of Julian Assange that passed out of the UK’s legal system earlier this year in June is a textbook instance of Government mishandling and a lack of journalistic integrity here.

    In some ways all of us have something to regret. In looking at the ordeal Assange went through, from his refuge in an embassy to his arrest and imprisonment in London, we have to reflect.

    His release is beside the point. A lack of pace and appropriate working habits is clear. Our way of progress is stagnant and we are impoverished of talent. It’s only fortunate it no longer needs to be proved.

  • Sky-high propaganda

    A brief investigation into Sky News would reveal critical errors in reasoning.

    The fact is people don’t always get it right.

    It’s even clearer if those people are behind or on a screen and they groupthink it out. It’s happened at the office of Sky News and it isn’t pretty.

    The political lore of the UK is that thugs feed off propaganda and yet it’s the ordinary events of our daily lives that make for their fodder.

    It’s the so-called propaganda of a stabbing maybe that makes it happen but this is factually not true.

    It’s not us that makes it go but its own engine of hatred.

    At least, that is how more sage figures think about it. They don’t express such views so clearly because to do so is to be under immediate fire from Sky News, as they used to say.

    Although not so much these days it used to be an inside joke at one point.

    The projection of the UK by Sky News is under scrutiny sometimes because its output is suspiciously incorrect according to many eminent scholars in this field.

    They’ve revealed their misgivings in private conversations and their assessments are scathing, and don’t publicise it either because there’s no given reason to doing so.

    It just doesn’t figure as highly as others.

    The point is though at times it resembles a sort of modern form of Russian propaganda. It doesn’t help most times if an event is commented on at length to hear it from Sky News because it’s wrong.

    This is because its presentation usually comes with a dollop of visuals and insight which incites a sort of critical thought that isn’t normal here.

    It isn’t physical violence that results but political apathy.

    It’s important to separate figures from people and not confuse the two, but as an ongoing comment it also matters to separate fact from fiction.

    It appears Sky News and their news team haven’t realised it yet.

  • Tall tales in journalism

    The UK journalism industry is as defunct as you think it is

    In writing about journalism in the UK it’s important to make distinctions. It’s because it exists everywhere and also nowhere. The latter group are those who still brand it but don’t do it.

    I won’t “name names” in this because it’s not appropriate. The fact of working in the UK is that people get it right and people do it wrong. That’s the point. It isn’t a brand name or a title which counts at all.

    In my relative past I’ve met a fair few “fake” journalists. These appeared at stories I was working on with others and were laughed off themselves. They did’t make the cut or fit the cloth.

    They just didn’t understand, and neither did their supposed peers who know.

    My story into learning that journalism is sometimes fake here started in 2001. I met a lady called Heather (false name) who I spoke to about the trade. She didn’t have much to say about it that’s positive at all.

    In fact, her review of it was it’s a “terrible” job. It wasn’t a good review in just those terms but she got more honest. Heather said it’s a “pretty shit” job that doesn’t pay unless it’s forced to.

    In her stories she related it was clear her way of knowing was flawed. It’s as if she knew how to put a story together but the “truth” of each of its parts were not clear enough.

    It transpired she hadn’t received any learning or education but her role was still a senior position in news. In my opinion she acted irresponsibly but her point was always to say, “it’s just journalism”.

    It clearly wasn’t. Yet the brand she worked for passed it off as such. It isn’t clear if these people are still lingering but it’s true to say people here know. They know fake journalism like a book in parts.