The Local Narks

[The Wheel]

Just read your letter Bradza. I can't believe you had too hassle them to publish it, there has been no sign of any other letters on this topic either. Who actually sent the Daily a letter?

I sent a letter to the Daily and the Council. Heard nothing from either - it was strange that the paper publish a couple of letters from the mob plus did an article on them as well but apart from Zorba having right of reply in his column nothing from the footy club.

 

[Matabele]

Even more surprising given that the Manly Football Club provides half the content of the newspaper on a daily basis for 7 months or more ..............

 

[The Wheel]

Couldn't agree more Mata, without them the Manly Daily is basically nothing more than something to put fish & Chips in for the local takeways.

I would have actually thought the Manly media/public relations unit would have been on the front foot on this issue.

Development of the ground with better lighting and other facilities would be paramount in any long term business plan the club has in place (I would have though so anyway).

They wouldn't want obstacles placed in front of them every time they want something approved by the council.

 

[Matabele]

Yes Wheel, we would think that. But then we're members of media and tech savvy Generation X, in white collar professions.

It might not be so apparent that this is a VITAL course of action to a Baby Boomer or an ex-footballer.

 

[Bradza]

If you are going to send something through to the MD via email you need to provide name and day time contact number. They do actually call to make sure the email came from you. They won't publish the letter unless this is done.

 

[Manly4Ever]

Well I did all of the above Bradza and still no sign of them publishing it but the did publish my letter about the lack of action on Beach erosion about 6 months back.

 

[PJ]

If the editor was doing the right thing they would publish the letter. As long as the source identifies his/ herself and there is no language in the letter it should be published.
Ultimately it come's down to the editor but the content of the letter 'should' have no bearing on whether it is published unless of course the editor has a political agenda. This when questions have to be raised about the journalistic morals of the editor in terms of doing his/ her job properly.
I work at a paper and it is our obligation to publish any letter to the editor as long as it complies with the above standards in regard to language and identification.
Even with language it can be/ should be censored.
You can ask to have your name with held but you have to include it and even then, ultimately it is up to the discretion of the editor whether it will be published or not in terms of the content of the letter and whether or not putting your name to it will cause you problems.
Just a warning don't think just because you ask you name to be with held it necessarily will be!

 

[Matabele]

But PJ, it is possible that the Manly Daily receive more letters than they can publish.

Therefore their defence would be they are prioritising and sifting out the letters to get the best.

Just playing devil's advocate there, but I think you get my drift.

 

[The Wheel]

Bradza - good to see your letter in a prominent position - that should stir the Brookvale natives up.

I received a reply from WSC Adminstrator Dick Persson which follows:

Thank you for your letter concerning the role and importance of Brookvale Oval. I agree with your analysis and have many many of your points in discussions with the representatives of the Brookvale Valley Community Group.

Notwithstanding this, I'm sure you would agree they still have rights. For example I inderstand their anger if someone parks across their driveway on game day, of if some lout urinates in their frint yard after a night game.

So for me it is a question of balancing different perspectives. I will continue to do my best in this regard.

Y/S

Dick Persson.

 

[Fluffy]

we havnt had a night game since 98 - the louts are not connected with manly football games.

Sounds like they are making things up

 

[Matabele]

People still urinate on Saturday nights Fluffy. It's not reserved to a Friday.

Wheel, maybe you should e-mail him back and point out that the interests of 15 NIMBYS should be balanced out against the interests of the 15,000 average that attend 11 games per year and a fan base for the club that numbers in the 100s of thousands.

Seems as though he's saying the pimple on the arse deserves as much soap as the rest of the body put together.

 

[The Wheel]

Good idea I might knock one up at lunch

 

[PJ]

Mata back to what you said before about sifting through the letters if there is a multitude- yes I see your point there.
I just got the feeling that the Manly Daily was giving one side of the arguement more of a voice and that should not happen if the editor was doing his/ her job properly.
We probably don't have that problem as much here at the paper I work at although one of the letters last week which I PM'd to you has recieved a fairly large amount of responses, some of which will definately not be making it to print due to language and personal threats.

 

[The Wheel]

That could have been why my Letter to the Editor wasn't printed. Although I didn't use bad language I didn't paint a good picture of the B/Vale residents.

But they allowed their letters to be published plus followed up with an article so their covergae wasn't even IMO

 

[PJ]

There was a good lot of shows on SBS last night (repeats) on journalism, the ethics of it and what actually constitiutes journalism (there is a fine line).
Ms Wellings also did a good piece on camera men and the dangers they sometimes face simply trying to do their job. What the Manly Daily should've done was investigate both sides- present all the cases and facts of the matter and then leave it up to the reader to decide, if they didn't do this, I think they have failed in their basic duty.
All the same the Telegraph does this everyday!

 

[The Wheel]

Both News Limited papers???

 

[Matabele]

Yeah PJ, the theory about balanced reporting is all fine but we know that no media outlet does it. There is very little in the way of truly balanced media coverage these days.

Seems to me as though it's quite possible the editor of the MD has friend in this group or is adversely affected themselves. Failing that, the group has offered to take out a few full page ads to publicise their greviances. $ coming in for advertising always makes for good copy doesn't it?

Cynical, but true.

 

[PJ]

Very true- bottom line, the advertising dollar drives the paper, without it there would be no paper. The price of the paper barely covers printing costs if at all sometimes.
This is why the closest you will get to balance reporting is ABC and even that is skewed in a certain direction.

 

[Matabele]

So the question is, therefore:

"Why is the Manly Daily skewing their coverage towards a small action group and away from one of the area's largest entities? Beyond that, why are they letting the dictates of a few residents jeapardise an entity that is essentially a cultural icon of the peninsula, in Australia and beyond.

Do you think the Manly supporter in Townsville or Vancouver gives a rats a *** about Mr Whinger's access to his driveway for 11 days in a year (and even fewer nights)?

If it's such a problem to him, let him call the cops and a tow truck. It won't happen again.

 

[Matabele]

The other question to ask is:

Did these residents buy their houses before or after Brookvale Oval was gazetted and developed.

Bet you any money it was after. It's like the tools that buy a house in Mascot and then expect the airport to be moved.