Journalists reporting NOT up to scratch these days...

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KevRSA

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The more I read newspapers, the more I want to cry. :eek:

I feel these days that some stories are really not well thought out or planned in newspapers. Is there a lack of content? especially the Beeld (not that I am an avid afrikaans reader, but on occasions I read it) their stories are just boring or they try to make it more than what it is. I know you may be like yeeeah they know what they're doing don't mention them, but it is my opinion!

Like seriously if you can't produce quality, rather save the paper and publish once a week with captivating/interesting articles. :sick:

There are sites though like News24 or mybb that produce a couple stories a day and while reading these I thoroughly enjoy them because they are fact packed and well written with the right amount of elevated diction. Not to mention it is the content that keeps me coming back!

*claps* Keep doing what you're doing! :)
 
The quality of journalism in this country has been on a downward slope for some time. Basic grammar and spelling don't appear to be necessary skills of the trade these days. The content is atrocious for the most part. Opinions rear their head in areas outside of investigative journalism and press freedom is consistently threatened by the ANC. What began as a pet-peeve is now a deep-seated sense of disgust...
 
Quality is no longer a priority in South Africa and furthermore the dismal state of reporting perfectly reflects the state of education unfortunately.

First world standards ?
-stop living in a delusion, we are a fully functioning third world and corrupt African country now, accept that hard and cruel fact.
 
Yeah there's a lot of sensationalism as unfortunately that's what sells to the majority of the country. Who cares about the full story when you have snippets of information that sells just as well.

I would recommend Al Jazeera.
 
I agree with everyone here, why even have newspapers when the quality is that of a 20 second radio broadcast! :erm:

it makes me feel angry as (hopefully) a future Journalist one day. I know my grammar and language isn't fully up to scratch either, but I get a good feeling about being employed one day when I see those articles. :wtf:
 
This is nothing new. Lets go back to 30 BC. There was a complaint in the Roman Senate that "the quality of reporting from our agents in the field that left much to be desired. The agent was not reporting about the state of the grain stocks, or the strength of our legion, rather a story about some female slaves that had contrived to escape from a rich merchant's harem. Such trivialities degrade the quality of information that we as senators must read."

Then, in 1805 there were complaints in the English parliament that reporting of the campaign at Trafalgar was "vulgar, inappropriate, sensational and devoid of substance."

The first and foremost duty of the editor is to sell newspapers so that his bosses and shareholders can make a profit. If a licentious story materialses that will cause people to buy an extra 1000 copies, then this will be moved to the front page. Do you recall the media frenzy when Diana died? Some newspapers, especially British ones, sold 5 times their regular print run for several days after that event while the newspapers milked the story dry. It is said that, to keep the story alive, many of the conspiracy theories were hatched in the editing rooms of tabloids. One that caught on well was that the British Secret Service, at the instigation of the Duke of Edinburgh, had arranged a mysterious car to bump the Mercedes that Diana was travelling in and caused it to crash.
 
KevRSA said:
I know my grammar and language isn't fully up to scratch either, but I get a good feeling about being employed one day when I see those articles. :wtf:
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Any editor worth his/her salt would ensure that your grammatical errors don't make it to print. Ultimately though, it is your name attributed to the article so it would behoove you to start writing up mock articles, posting a blog and taking an interest in a topic, or group of topics that you can begin to sink your teeth into prior to taking the journalist-plunge...
 
DJ... said:
Any editor worth his/her salt would ensure that your grammatical errors don't make it to print. Ultimately though, it is your name attributed to the article so it would behoove you to start writing up mock articles, posting a blog and taking an interest in a topic, or group of topics that you can begin to sink your teeth into prior to taking the journalist-plunge...
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Is this why you do, what you do?
 
Pooky said:
Yeah there's a lot of sensationalism as unfortunately that's what sells to the majority of the country. Who cares about the full story when you have snippets of information that sells just as well.

I would recommend Al Jazeera.
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They all have their own agenda, even Al Jazeera. It just depends whether you like what they say or not. Its natural for people to think that news agencies which reinforce their own views are the only ones being objective.
 
zippy said:
They all have their own agenda, even Al Jazeera. It just depends whether you like what they say or not. Its natural for people to think that news agencies which reinforce their own views are the only ones being objective.
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Yes of course. I don't watch a lot of news but from what I have seen Al Jazeera at least try to be more objective. I like the features they do with discussions as well.
 
DJ... said:
Any editor worth his/her salt would ensure that your grammatical errors don't make it to print. Ultimately though, it is your name attributed to the article so it would behoove you to start writing up mock articles, posting a blog and taking an interest in a topic, or group of topics that you can begin to sink your teeth into prior to taking the journalist-plunge...
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This! +1 :D

Refraction said:
It's weird, our local paper has got thinner but more expensive....
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Agreed, I just wait for the Randburg Sun to come to me every Thursday. I will never buy newspapers again.
 
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