Iom Newspapers' New Editor?

[Jimcalagon]

Right, that's it...

 

I'm going to start a news agency concentrating on all the drive-by shootings, bank robberies, celebrity bust-ups and thwarted terrorist plots here.

 

Clearly what's ACTUALLY happening in the Island just isn't enough.

 

 

I think what some people might be trying to say here (and not succeeding) is that, yes, a lot of the news stories in the local papers are of a trivial nature, which reflects the relaxed, semi-rural nature of the island.

 

However, unlike other local papers, the Manx press also have the affairs of a national government to cover and, given the seemingly widespread public perception of corruption and incompetence (whether this is actually the case or not) we should be having much more in the way of investigative journalism than the Southport Visiter or the St. Helens Gazette.

[slinkydevil]

I think what some people might be trying to say here (and not succeeding) is that, yes, a lot of the news stories in the local papers are of a trivial nature, which reflects the relaxed, semi-rural nature of the island.

 

However, unlike other local papers, the Manx press also have the affairs of a national government to cover and, given the seemingly widespread public perception of corruption and incompetence (whether this is actually the case or not) we should be having much more in the way of investigative journalism than the Southport Visiter or the St. Helens Gazette.

 

 

But IOM newspapers is a business that depends on advertising - why would you piss off one of your biggest advertisers with investigative journalism? Biting the hand that feeds you... Same goes for a radio station partly funded by the government.

[Xpert]

And that's why it's shite .....all down to money

[Stu Peters]

I'm fed up of repeating the truth of the matter, which is that EVERYTHING is reported here that would be reported anywhere else. But the media is bound by pretty exacting legal and regulatory constraints, so you can't report rumour, supposition or innuendo (which Manx people excel at).

 

Paying a specialist investigative reporter to spend months undercover digging through rubbish just wouldn't work here - the Island is a close-knit community where everybody knows everyone else (or their relatives or friends) so you probably wouldn't be undercover for very long.

 

The reality is that we're a quiet, law-abiding, semi-rural society. Enjoy that, rather than wish we had more sensational headlines and lead stories on the radio news. And PLEASE stop insulting us by suggesting we're all in the pocket of Government. It's deeply offensive and just plain WRONG.

[P.K.]

OK Stu if all that is true why hasn't there been any news on the Corkill v GC Construction civil case? It MUST have taken place by now. But in the fearless independent manx media - nary a peep.

 

Don't have D Notices do you? Oh no, you have something else. Rearrange these words into a well known phrase or saying - "Network Boys Old".

 

So please spare me the "facts" about the manx media. If stories like the legal gagging of Roly, the Corkill's civil case etc etc can be deliberately buried then I'm sure all sorts can and no doubt have been. So there is a problem but no-one is going to fix it anytime soon - because it's exactly how they like it. QED.

[Desperate Dan]

Dear Stu Peters

 

As you work for manx radio, which is funded by tax payers money, tax payers money which i contribute to. Any danger with getting back to work and stop wasting time on these forums in work hours.

 

thanks

Dan

 

ps. i am currently on my lunch.

[Lonan3]

But IOM newspapers is a business that depends on advertising - why would you piss off one of your biggest advertisers with investigative journalism? Biting the hand that feeds you... Same goes for a radio station partly funded by the government.

To be fair, the Government needs IoM Newspapers more than IoM Newspapers needs the Government. There is a legal requirement to advertise much of their stuff in local papers - so the only reason for stuff possibly being suppressed is that its part of a trade-off for a better story.

Yes, there is a form of local 'corruption' - the kind that is sometimes referred to as the 'old-boy-network' - but its not as widespread as some on here appear to believe. And I say that as someone who's experienced it working very much against myself and people I represent.

It is a fact of life in any small community, but exposing it isn't always beneficial to that society.

As for the radio stations - I've never had any trouble in trying to present my view to the general public from any of them, even though I'm sometimes working in conflict with the government. And the one that's always been willing to give me most air time is (surprise, surprise) the one you say can't do that because its partly government-funded.

[Miss Take]

Dear Stu Peters

As you work for manx radio, which is funded by tax payers money, tax payers money which i contribute to. Any danger with getting back to work and stop wasting time on these forums in work hours.

thanks

Dan

ps. i am currently on my lunch.

 

I didn't realise Stu worked 24 hour days - fair play!

[P.K.]

Yes, there is a form of local 'corruption' - the kind that is sometimes referred to as the 'old-boy-network' - but its not as widespread as some on here appear to believe. And I say that as someone who's experienced it working very much against myself and people I represent.

It is a fact of life in any small community, but exposing it isn't always beneficial to that society.

So telling the truth isn't always beneficial to society?

 

The deafening silence from the fearless independent manx media tells me the Corkills have lost. Had they won it would have been headline news all over Mannin. One rule for some, one rule for the others. Justice "Manx style". Sickening.

[Lonan3]

Yes, there is a form of local 'corruption' - the kind that is sometimes referred to as the 'old-boy-network' - but its not as widespread as some on here appear to believe. And I say that as someone who's experienced it working very much against myself and people I represent.

It is a fact of life in any small community, but exposing it isn't always beneficial to that society.

So telling the truth isn't always beneficial to society?

Of course it isn't. Not always. And from some of your posts in the past I would expect you to understand that better than most!

 

The deafening silence from the fearless independent manx media tells me the Corkills have lost. Had they won it would have been headline news all over Mannin. One rule for some, one rule for the others. Justice "Manx style". Sickening.

 

I don't know any more than you do - but the 'deafening silence' makes me suspect that; either the case hasn't come to court yet or that there's been some amicable out-of-court settlement. In either case, I don't see any reason for continued vindictiveness towards a family that's probably been to Hell and back in recent times. That may be the kind of reporting required from a scurrilous red-top daily, but it wouldn't endear the local press to me.

[Bananaman]

Any one seen this one;

 

http://www.framleyexaminer.com/

 

 

Hasn't been updated for a while, brilliant none the less though.

 

[spermann]

Right, that's it...

 

I'm going to start a news agency concentrating on all the drive-by shootings, bank robberies, celebrity bust-ups and thwarted terrorist plots here.

 

Clearly what's ACTUALLY happening in the Island just isn't enough.

 

Perhaps we could start with the annual £1 million robbery of public tax payers money to fund a radio station. How do all the other non BBC radio stations survive? - and yet they still offer local news??

 

By the way does the rentable value of that building come into the £1M sum or is is that a Government freebee on top? It would make a far better restaurant / bar or Hotel.

 

Richard Butt will do good, but he may struggle getting the journalists back into gear after such a slack period.

[Jimcalagon]

I'm fed up of repeating the truth of the matter, which is that EVERYTHING is reported here that would be reported anywhere else. But the media is bound by pretty exacting legal and regulatory constraints, so you can't report rumour, supposition or innuendo (which Manx people excel at).

 

Paying a specialist investigative reporter to spend months undercover digging through rubbish just wouldn't work here - the Island is a close-knit community where everybody knows everyone else (or their relatives or friends) so you probably wouldn't be undercover for very long.

 

I take your point over the investigative journalism.

 

However (to probably put your back up even further) we haven't got anyone who asks the Island's politicians tough questions and has the tenacity to get results. Paxman or Humphreys style questioning, rather than, what we usually get which is more along the lines of David Frost or Michael Parkinson, a jovial chat.

 

What I don't want to hear is a politician who makes a (usually long and pre-concocted) statement, avoiding the difficult bits he doesn't want to talk about and then the interviewer leaving the statement unchallenged. But all too often that's what we get.

 

The one thing we don't seem to see on this island at all is accountability.

[Xpert]

I'm fed up of repeating the truth of the matter, which is that EVERYTHING is reported here that would be reported anywhere else. But the media is bound by pretty exacting legal and regulatory constraints, so you can't report rumour, supposition or innuendo (which Manx people excel at).

 

Paying a specialist investigative reporter to spend months undercover digging through rubbish just wouldn't work here - the Island is a close-knit community where everybody knows everyone else (or their relatives or friends) so you probably wouldn't be undercover for very long.

 

I take your point over the investigative journalism.

 

However (to probably put your back up even further) we haven't got anyone who asks the Island's politicians tough questions and has the tenacity to get results. Paxman or Humphreys style questioning, rather than, what we usually get which is more along the lines of David Frost or Michael Parkinson, a jovial chat.

 

What I don't want to hear is a politician who makes a (usually long and pre-concocted) statement, avoiding the difficult bits he doesn't want to talk about and then the interviewer leaving the statement unchallenged. But all too often that's what we get.

 

The one thing we don't seem to see on this island at all is accountability.

 

i'll second that

[ai_Droid]

I'm fed up of repeating the truth of the matter, which is that EVERYTHING is reported here that would be reported anywhere else. But the media is bound by pretty exacting legal and regulatory constraints, so you can't report rumour, supposition or innuendo (which Manx people excel at).

 

I don't for a second expect exposing investigative journalism. What I would like to see more of is comment, opinion both from the manx population and the journalists. Manx Radio's pretty good in this regard, I did the end2end this weekend, and there was a manx radio guy at the finish line, who was chatting with the finishers, getting their thoughts asking them how they did etc. Contrast that to much of the papers coverage of such things (although Fridays indy will might just prove me wrong!) but they'll have a note from the organisers with some results stashed below, and that's it. Swampy was there, taking pix for the rag but why no journo doing the same thing as the MR guys?

 

 

Now sadly this aspect of MR doesn't come over to the web, which is a shame, because I think MR is way ahead of the newspapers in this regard generally.